The Sin Closet Diaries
by bigbangenthusiast
Summary: When Shamy's eight-year-old daughter finds Amy's diaries, she is taken back 37 years in time and is surprised to learn her mom was not always the cheerful, popular woman she knows. Canon through season 9. A sequel to The Vexillogical Vacation and the Investigative Vacation but can be read as a standalone story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had this idea for a new story a couple of weeks ago. Since we don't know a lot about Amy Farrah Fowler before she met Sheldon and the gang on the show, I decided to create a way we could delve into her past, get more details on her life since meeting the love of her life, and also get a glimpse into the future.**

 _December 18, 1990_

 _The thought of starting my very first entry with 'Dear diary' is so cliché, so I'm just going to jump right in._

 _Aunt Florence thought a diary would be the perfect gift for an 8-year-old girl. I would have preferred some new clothes so for once I wouldn't have to wear Irene's hand-me-downs. I almost didn't even open the red leather cover but decided it would be rude not to at least give it a try._

 _Mother hung balloons and streamers and made my favorite cake - double chocolate with chocolate frosting. I invited all the girls from my class and waited by the door for two hours before giving in to the tears, hoping Mother wouldn't see me cry. I couldn't bear another time out in the sin closet. For once she comforted me instead of locking me in there. I guess that's one plus to celebrating a birthday. She promised I would still have a party in the evening with my extended family. She tries hard, and I'm grateful for it, but it's just not enough._

 _When Mother handed me her gift, I could tell she was nervous. She sat back in her floral-print armchair with her hands folded neatly in her lap as I began peeling the wrapping paper, but the subtle twitching of her fingers and the pinched look on her face gave her away._

 _For weeks she had asked me what I wanted, and my response was always the same - a microscope. She didn't seem to believe me and even went so far as to take a detour past the toy aisle at K- Mart when we were shopping for new dish towels so she could point out the dolls adorned in pink. I have nothing against the color itself, but I never did understand the toy industry's obsession with all things pink for girls. It was as if someone came along and dumped a bottle of Pepto-Bismol on everything. And why do toys have to be considered gender specific?_

 _I carefully removed the wrapping paper to reveal a brand new 40X-1000X microscope. I nearly knocked Mother over when I lunged at her to wrap my arms around her neck. She awkwardly hugged me back._

 _"So you really like it?" She asked._

 _I told her it was the best birthday present she had ever gotten me. The relief was evident on her face._

 _Aunt Doe not so subtly elbowed Danny until he reluctantly handed me the small package he held. I surreptitiously inspected the red paper. The edges were torn, and it was covered in little bits of tape. It was obvious he had wrapped it himself. There was no saving that paper, so I tore through it and exposed a box of crayons. I politely thanked him then eyed Irene's gift. I knew what it was before I even unwrapped it. Of course, it was a coloring book._

 _My cousins just don't get me. I mean a coloring book? Now that I think about it, Danny's face fell when he unwrapped the paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice I got him for his 8th birthday three months ago. Maybe he would have preferred the crayons. I guess it's true that we often buy gifts for others that we would want for ourselves._

 _All Irene wanted for her birthday was jewelry and makeup. I miss the days when we would look for frogs at Grandma Martin's. Now suddenly they make her squeamish. I hope that doesn't happen to me when I turn 12._

 _Grandma handed me a card with money. That's another $10 towards my college funds for a grand total of $245._

 _I think I'll hide this diary under my mattress for now. It's not due to be flipped for another month. That should be enough time to find a secure hiding place._

"Leah, dinner's ready!"

Leah Marie Cooper stood from the cushioned window seat and slipped the small red leather-bound book under her shirt, tucking it into her waistband so it wouldn't fall out. She wasn't sure how her mom would react if she found out she had been snooping through her personal belongings. To be fair, it hadn't been intentional. She had read all her parents' novels, textbooks, and comic books off the bottom three shelves of their floor-to-ceiling library and needed to feed her brain.

Minutes earlier she had pushed the rolling library ladder to the far left, the logical starting point, and climbed the rungs to the fourth shelf. She tilted her head slightly to the left to read the first book's spine, surprised to find it was a geology textbook. Maybe it was a gag gift from Uncle Howard. Her left hand held onto the rail while she extended her right hand to pluck the book off the shelf.

She was about to climb down when something caught her eye. She set the textbook on top of the next three books, which also happened to be geology references, then reached back into the empty space. Her fingers barely brushed the item, so she stretched a little further, finally dislodging it. She was now in the possession of a small, unmarked red book. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the letters 'AFF' were etched into the front cover - her mom's initials before she became Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper.

"Leah!" Amy called out again.

She scurried to her room on the other side of the house and shoved the book under her pillow then washed her hands before joining her parents at the table. Amy set down a baking dish of piping hot spaghetti with cut up hotdogs and a glass of milk for each of them. It was a family favorite. Sheldon scooped out a portion for their daughter before loading his plate.

Between bites they each went around the table, as they did every night, reporting the best thing that happened that day.

"I was the only one in the whole third grade to get a perfect score on the science quiz."

Sheldon beamed. "That's my girl!"

Amy reached over and touseled her daughter's long, dark hair. "We're so proud of you!"

"Your turn, Mommy."

"The Journal of Neuroscience is publishing my article in their January 28, 2028, issue."

"Amy, that's wonderful."

"What about you, Daddy?"

"That obnoxious student finally dropped my class. I swear he held out this long just to annoy me."

Amy squeezed his hand. "That's a relief, although I'll probably miss hearing all your stories. What was it he did last week?"

Sheldon glared at his wife.

"You know I'm just teasing you." She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

Halfway through dinner, Leah took advantage of a lull in the conversation. "Mommy?"

"Yes, Monkey?"

"What do you want for your birthday?"

"I'll love anything you get me."

"I want to get you the perfect gift. I need some ideas so I don't buy something you'll hate."

"I would never hate anything that came from you."

"Mommy, I'm serious. All I know is that you don't want a coloring book and crayons."

Amy raised her brow in confusion. "Crayons? Where did that come from?"

As Leah squirmed in her seat, Sheldon and Amy shared a look over their daughter's head.

"Leah, sweetie, Mommy's birthday is not for another six weeks. We have plenty of time to find her the perfect gift. Now let's finish up before the food gets cold."

The rest of the meal was spent without incident. The little girl went into great detail about her day, her parents hanging on her every word.

"May I be excused?" Leah asked, when their plates after every last bit of the food on her plate had been cleared.

"Yes, you may. Uncle Leonard, Cadence, and Dylan will be here soon to pick up you and Daddy for comic book night. Don't forget to feed Giuseppe before you leave."

"I won't."

Leah placed her plate and glass in the dishwasher. She tore some lettuce and scooped a handful of chopped carrots and carefully carried them to the livingroom. She lifted the aquarium lid and dropped the green and orange treats into the small food bowl within. Giuseppe ambled over, and she gently stroked his shell as he chewed.

Remembering the geology book, she secured her pet's lid and snuck into the library. If her mom saw the gap and realized her diary was missing, she'd take away her reading privileges. When she entered the library, curiosity set in. She pushed the ladder a foot to the right and climbed until she could reach the fourth shelf. She pulled out a biology book next to the trio of geology books and peered into the space behind it. Sure enough there was another unmarked book. She moved out another foot with the same results. Not wishing to be caught, she returned the ladder to the far left. After replacing the textbook in it's rightful place, she retreated to her room and unearthed the little red book from under her pillow.

 _December 24, 1990_

 _Christmas Eve. The night when Santa comes down the chimney and leaves me an orange, some peanuts, a candy cane, and some chocolates in my worn stocking. Nice try, Mother. I know he's not real, but_ _I can't let on that I know. She'd lead me to the sin closet for sure. I'll just have to play along again this year._

Leah grinned. Her parents had told her about the lore of Santa Claus when she was two years old. They didn't want to keep up the charade then have to explain why they lied when she found out the truth.

The sound of the Spider-Man theme song chiming alerted her to the Hofstadters' arrival. She hid the book under her mattress then ran to the door.

"Hey, Buddy." Leonard greeted his best friend, ushering his kids in ahead of him.

"Cadence!" Leah shrieked, grabbing her blonde friend's hand.

The two girls chatted animatedly as if they hadn't just spent all day at school together. Five-year-old Dylan hung back, hiding behind his dad's legs.

Amy came out into the foyer to greet their guests. "Hi, Leonard." She looked around. "Is Penny still coming?"

"She said she refuses to be driven half a block, so she's coming on foot."

Amy crouched down to the little boy's level. "How was school today, Dylan?"

He shrugged.

"Are you excited to see the new comic books?"

He vigorously nodded his head 'yes'.

"Come on. Let's get you a cookie. Girls, would you like a cookie?"

Leah followed Amy into the kitchen. "Yes, please."

Her daughter's best friend was right on her tail. "Thank you, Auntie Amy."

As the young trio munched on homemade chocolate chip cookies, Penny strode into the kitchen. "Hey, Ames!"

"Hi Bestie! Come, sit down. I'm just about to start the dishwasher then I'll join you."

Penny pulled out the chair next to her son. "Can Mommy have a bite?"

"Nooooooo!" He shoved the last bit into his mouth triumphantly.

Soon after Leonard poked his head into the room. "Okay, kids. Let's go."

All three children licked their fingers clean of any remaining chocolate then dutifully took turns washing their hands before joining Sheldon who was pacing by the door. He ushered them and Leonard out before racing back in to give his wife a quick kiss.

xxx

An hour later Leonard dropped off the Coopers and their brand new comic books. Leah stood on the sidewalk holding her dad's hand. When their friends emerged from the car three houses down, she waved at them with her free hand until they were out of sight. Sheldon started up the walk but was held back by the tiny hand in his.

"You'll see Cadence again tomorrow. Let's go in."

When they got to the second step, she let go of his hand and sat down.

"Daddy?" She asked in her most serious voice.

He took a seat next to her. "Yes?"

"What's the sin closet?"

The door opened to reveal Penny on her way out. She knelt next to the little version of her best friend. "Sweetie, did you get anything good at the comic book store?"

"Daddy let me buy two today," she said, reaching into the bag on Sheldon's lap and producing one with pastel-colored gnomes and another of Batman and Catwoman.

"That's awesome!"

Amy stepped out to see her friend off. "Goodnight, Penny."

"Night all!"

Inside the house, Leah showed off her new purchases. She consulted her watch, disappointed that she had only 15 minutes until bedtime. It was time to begin her nightly rituals. She brushed her teeth then changed into her nightgown. After bidding Giuseppe goodnight, her parents followed her to her room where Sheldon tucked her in. They sat together on the edge of the bed while their daughter read to them from her new gnome comic book. They took turns kissing her goodnight then turned out the light and partially shut the door.

As he did every Wednesday, Sheldon gathered his new comic books and sat in his spot on the old brown couch in the library. Amy snuggled in next to him with an old weathered copy of The Canterbury Tales. She lost track of how many times she had read it over the years.

When Sheldon finished his first book, he set it aside on the lamp table then turned to his wife. "Leah asked me the strangest question tonight."

She bookmarked her page and set the novel on her lap, giving him her full attention. "Oh?"

He lowered his voice. "She wanted to know what the sin closet was."

"What did you tell her?" She whispered back.

"Luckily Penny came out, so I was spared from having to answer."

"Where would she have heard about it? Did I have a night terror recently?"

"No, but you do tend to mumble in your sleep occasionally. I knew we should have sound-proofed the bedroom."

"That's not the reason you wanted to sound-proof it, and you know it."

"Amy!"

"What? It's just the two of us in here." She made a cursory glance towards the door to be sure. "Okay. Back to our dilemma. What if she asks again? We promised we would never lie to her, so how do we give her an honest answer that won't make my mom out to be a horrible person? She's changed for the better. I don't want Leah to be scared of something that happened in the past."

They pondered in silence for several minutes, the ticking Meemaw's grandfather clock punctuating each second that went by.

"Sheldon?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you find Leah's remark about my birthday gift odd?"

"It did seem like an odd thing to say, but now that I think about it, 45 years is somewhat of a milestone year. Maybe she just wants to get you something extra special."

"Maybe. So are you getting me anything special?"

"You already know what I'm getting you." He wiggled his brows suggestively.

"The same gift 12 years in a row?"

"It's tradition; we can't break tradition."

"You know I'm just teasing you."

"I know." He rested his chin on her head contentedly.

 **A/N: How long until Leah gets caught? Are all of Amy's diary entries so innocent?**

 **This is a bit of a different style for me, so please let me know what you think. If I get enough interest, I'll write many more chapters. If anyone has ideas for in-character (IC) diary entries, I am open to try bringing them to life. Just send me a PM. Thanks!**

 **For those of you following The Vexillogical Vacation, please know I haven't forgotten about it. A new update is coming soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you everyone for all your favorites, follows, and reviews for this story's first chapter. You've motivated me to continue.**

Leah slipped into her white tights, green body suit, and red vest. Her mom draped a gold cape over her shoulders and watched as the little girl twirled in the full-length mirror, long dark hair and cape floating behind her.

"Mommy! I'm flying!"

"Don't say that in front of Daddy. He'll have a fit if he hears you want to go out as a flying Robin."

Leah giggled.

Amy snickered. "I guess that does sound kind of funny. Robins do fly, just not the kind of Robin you'll be tonight." She patted the edge of the jungle-themed comforter. Her daughter bounced up next to her. Amy ran a comb through the mess of tangles, careful not to pull too hard. "Someone needs a haircut."

"I like my long hair." She gently pulled a lock of her mom's hair towards hers to compare them. "Look, it's the same length. If we cut mine, it won't look like yours anymore."

"I could use a trim too. Tell you what. Why don't we both get our hair cut this weekend?"

"Okay!"

When Leah was tangle-free, Amy tied her hair into a ponytail and admired her handiwork. "From the front you look just like Robin now."

She jumped off the bed and examined her costume from all angles. "Thanks, Mommy."

Amy excused herself to change into her own costume. When the coast was clear, Leah dug under her mattress for the little red book.

 _December 25, 1990_

 _On the 45-minute drive to Grandma's this morning, Mother explained to me that the microscope was a combined birthday/Christmas gift. I kind of figured as much. She had been putting in some extra hours at the office lately. I didn't mind though because it meant spending more time with Jillian, who was thrilled to make a little extra cash for the holidays._

 _Christmas is the one day each year when we're actually like a normal family. Even Danny is tolerable as we lie on our stomachs in front of Grandma's antique TV watching It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. Irene decided to revert back to her former self, joining us as the adults sat back on the couch and rocking chairs._

 _Mindy and Monica, home from their first semester at Harvard, appeared unsure if they should join us children or the older generation. They compromised and sat cross-legged next to Aunt Florence who was thrilled to have her girls back in town. A year ago I couldn't tell them apart. I would wait until someone addressed one of them then identify them by their outfits. That would only work until the next time I saw them. Now I noticed Monica had a slight scar on the side of her nose._

 _Grandma went to a lot of trouble over lunch again this year with a little help from her sister and daughters. Great Aunt Flora placed her 'famous' green Jell-o salad next to Mother's contribution - a platter of store-bought dill pickles. As they did every year, Aunt Doe and Aunt Florence sqabbled over whose buttermilk biscuits were the best._

 _Uncle Harvey carved the ginormous turkey. I watched closely as all the men loaded their plates with large portions of dark meat and stuffing and hardly a vegetable in sight._

 _Mindy and Monica claimed they needed to watch their calories. They stared pointedly at my heaping plate, but I didn't let them get to me this year. I rarely had a meal this tasty and planned to enjoy as much as I could stuff in._

 _After we all helped clear the table, we gathered around the tree. Grandma lugged her harp out of the corner, sat on her beloved 'harp stool', which is really just an old crushed velvet foot stool, and began to play Christmas tunes by heart. As everyone sang along, I couldn't help but picture myself plucking the strings in front of a crowd with the L.A. Philharmonic._

 _When the last note receded, I opened my eyes to find everyone staring at me._

 _"Your fingers were moving as if you were playing along," Mindy snickered. Her sister soon joined in._

 _Grandma silenced them with a look. She called me over then vacated her stool. She stood behind me, placing my hands into position. With her hands guiding mine, I played what was supposed to be Silent Night but came out sounding more like some twisted classical version of Metallica._

 _"It takes a lot of practice. With some lessons, by this time next year, you'll be putting me to shame," Grandma assured me._

 _Mother pulled Grandma aside. I could hear her complaining about the cost of lessons. Grandma offered to teach me on weekends if I was interested._

 _Grandma gave me another $10 and a pair of socks, the twins brought me a Harvard pennant, and I received various books from everyone else. When I mentioned my reading level was well past the third-grade level, I expected high school-level literature, not Sweet Valley High. It's fine though. At this point I'll take any new books I can get my hands on._

 _I folded my wrapping paper neatly so Grandma could use it again next year. Danny and the twins tore through theirs to the point where it was unsalvagable. At least Irene had the decency to save hers._

 _Mother surprised me with a small lumpy package. After what she told me in the car, I wasn't expecting anything more from her. I carefully peeled back the paper and pulled out the cutest stuffed monkey_.

Leah stashed the book in its hiding space upon hearing her parents' voices in the hall. They peeked into her room as she smoothed down her comforter.

Amy tugged at her form-fitting purple bodysuit and adjusted her matching cowl over her red wig. "Who's ready to fight crime?"

Sheldon shook his head. "Batgirl would never say that."

"What would she say?"

"A hero is not measured by what her power may be but by the courage she shows in living and the warmth she shows in her heart!"

"Maybe Leah should have been Batgirl and you be Robin."

Amy pretended to be offended. "Does Batman really want to sleep with Robin tonight?"

"Good point." As their daughter ran ahead to grab her Batman treat bucket from the counter, he lightly smacked his wife's butt. She looked over her shoulder, a coy smile on her lips.

Amy carried a pillowcase so she could dump the candy in when the bucket filled. She and Sheldon waited on the sidewalk as their daughter visited the first two houses on their street. They all walked up the steps of the third house and were greeted by Penny in a witch costume.

"Hey, guys! Nice group costume." She turned her head towards the inside of the house. "Leonard, they're here!" She shouted above the sounds of ghosts and gouls moaning via Bluetooth speakers.

Leonard, dressed as Superman, greeted them with Dylan at his heels in a cowboy costume. Leah peeked around the corner for her best friend.

"She's coming, Sweetie." Penny promised.

Cadence floated through the room in a flowy pink gown and matching cone-shaped hat.

Leah ran to her friend. "You make such a pretty princess!"

"Why are you dressed like a boy?"

"Cadence!" Leonard warned his daughter.

"Halloween costumes shouldn't be gender-specific," the youngest Cooper retorted.

"Whatever. It's just not something I would wear."

"Girls, that's enough!" Penny shouted from her post by the door. Her scowl transformed into a grin when she opened the door to two preschoolers dressed as a kitten and a puppy.

Leonard brushed away a cotton cobweb then handed his kids their treat buckets. "Alright, let's go."

"Ames, are you sure you don't want to stay here and drink wine in between trick-or-treaters?"

"Tempting, but I won't have many chances left before she decides she doesn't want to be seen with me."

The group strolled down their street, the adults admiring the houses decked out in jack-o-lanterns, tombstones, and giant spiders. Dylan stayed behind when they approached a house with a creepy coffin. The girls were unfazed until a vampire lept out in front of them baring his fangs. They raced back to the sidewalk shrieking and asked to skip the next few houses in case he decided to follow them.

"Do you know what would be fun? We should drive over to the old apartment, see who's renting our former homes."

"I don't know, Leonard. Seeing someone else's furniture in my old spot might be disconcerting."

"Come on, Sheldon. I think it would be fun. We can show the girls their first home," Amy pleaded.

"I suppose we could," he relented.

"Yay!"

Leonard walked home to pick up his minivan while the Coopers led the kids to the last few houses on the street.

On the short drive to Los Robles, the children tried sneaking some candy from their buckets. Amy promised then they would have plenty of time when they returned home. "We don't want to scatter wrappers all over the van."

Cadence leaned over the seat. "We're just trading, Auntie Amy."

Leonard parallel parked in front of the old, familiar building. He, Sheldon, and Amy gazed up towards the fouth floor, each lost in their own memories. Inside the building they surveyed the lobby. Everything appeared the same except for one detail.

"They must have finally fixed the elevator!" Leonard exclaimed, noting the 'Out of Order' sign was absent. He pressed the button and sure enough, the elevator dinged and opened to reveal a new car.

Amy peered in. "Shall we take the elevator or the stairs for old time's sake?"

They ultimately decided to take the elevator to the top then take the stairs down after visiting the apartments on each floor.

The fifth floor tenants were new to the building. They happily threw several pieces of candy into each bucket. "We've hardly had any trick-or-treaters."

"We used to live on the fourth floor. We didn't get a lot of trick-or-treaters either. I think most of them tend to visit houses rather than apartment complexes," Leonard rationalized.

Sheldon began hyperventilating as they reached the fourth floor.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

Amy reassured her daughter he was fine. She rubbed his back in slow, soothing circles. "It's okay, Sheldon. You can do this."

He took a deep breath in and chanted, "I can do this, I can do this..."

Dylan had gotten brave over the course of the evening and yelled, "trick-or-treat!" in front of 4B.

A young blonde woman emerged, causing Leonard to do a double take. He was transported 20 years back in time when he had first laid eyes on Penny in the very spot he stood. He shook his head to rid himself of the image and noted that the only thing this woman and his wife had in common was their hair color. Amy peeked in. It was so strange not seeing the teal couch or clothes strewn around the room.

Satisfied with the fun-sized Snickers bars the young woman had tossed in, Dylan shouted in front of 4A, the girls right behind him. They waited several seconds.

"They must not be home," Amy murmured, the disappointment evident in her voice and the slumping of her shoulders.

As they turned to leave, the door opened to reveal a girl about Leah and Cadence's age dressed in a Spider-Man suit, minus the head. Dylan eyed the candy bowl sitting on a small table next to the door. The girl's eyes followed his then called her mother over. The woman hobbled over on crutches and tossed several pieces of candy into each of the buckets.

"I'm sorry. Sofia's a little shy."

The girl looked down then back up at Leah. "I like your costume."

"Thanks! My mom made it for me."

As the girls chatted, Amy peered around the woman's shoulder. Her eyes were drawn to the island where she and Sheldon had shared multiple cups of tea over intelligent conversations. She tore her gaze away to examine the rest of the room. Sheldon was right. It was somewhat disconcerting seeing a gray striped couch where the brown couch had stood for more than two decades. She stood back to join her husband who was hyperventilating again.

Sheldon's breathing returned to normal when they reached the third floor. Mrs. Gunderson still occupied 3A and was delighted to see how much the girls had grown. Leonard still couldn't look her in the eye even though 17 years had passed since she overheard his rodeo coitus with Penny. After visiting briefly with Mrs. Vartabedian in 3B, they descended to the second floor. Mrs. Petrescu's eyes lit up upon seeing Sheldon and Amy. They complimented her on her English, which was much improved.

When Leonard dropped the Coopers off in front of their house, the streets had almost cleared of trick-or-treaters. Leah dumped her bucket and the partial pillowcase of candy on the livingroom floor and began sorting into piles of chocolate and non-chocolate then into sub-piles of alike candy.

Amy took a seat next to her daughter. "Mind if I eat one of these Snickers?"

After a slight hesitation, the youngest Cooper slid one over to her mom. "Daddy, you get one candy too."

Sheldon surveyed the piles. "Hmm... Just one? Hmm... I don't see any Red Vines..."

Deciding for her dad, Leah handed him a packet of Milk Duds then searched the cupboard for Ziploc bags. She placed each type of candy in its own bag, threw them in the pillowcase, and deposited it in her room before beginning her nightly rituals.

While her parents read in the library after they tucked her into bed, she reached under her mattress for the little red book. She clipped on her reading light and continued where she left off.

The next morning Leah awoke with the book next to her on the bed. She unclipped the light and shoved the diary in its hiding place just as Amy entered the room to open her blinds. She would have to be more careful in the future. No more reading after lights out.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all for the favorites, follows, and reviews. I'm so glad to know you're enjoying the format.**

Amy got Leah settled in the salon chair before taking a seat in the adjacent chair. She set her glasses on the counter as her stylist, Damona, draped a black cape over her shoulders then pumped her chair up. Leah reached over, her small fingers not quite reaching her target.

"Mommy, can I try your glasses?"

"Why, Monkey?"

"I want to look more like you."

"That's very sweet, but you won't be able to see a thing with them."

"I don't mind."

The little girl attempted to grab at them again, but her stylist, Christine, reined her in with a cape. She spritzed her hair with the water bottle and asked her to hold still while the scissors snipped away at her dry ends, the chocolate-colored trimmings falling to the tiled floor.

"How old are you, Leah?"

"I'm eight!"

"What grade are you in?"

"Three, but my dad thinks I should skip ahead. My classes aren't challenging enough."

"Wouldn't you miss your friends?"

Amy sent Christine a look of gratitude. "Leah, why don't you tell Christine about your science project."

While Leah tried to explain her project, creating a visual Doppler, Damona engaged Amy in a conversation of their own. "Your daughter has the most beautiful blue eyes."

"Yes, she does. They're her dad's. She also inherited his porcelain skin and long lashes."

"She's a very pretty and spunky child. Smart too," she noted as Leah went into detail about the Doppler effect, her explanation going way over her audience's head.

"Thank you," she replied, the pride evident in her voice.

"So Amy, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a neurobiologist at Caltech. I've been employed there for 14 years."

"What does that entail?"

Amy went into a lengthy spiel about the primate addiction studies she performed at the beginning of her career through the pigeons she currently worked with.

Christine removed the cape from her client, who hopped down and plucked her mom's glasses from their spot. She set them on her nose and paraded around, bumping into the other stylists, giggling. "Sorry, it's blurry."

"And that's a good thing. You don't want 20/70 vision at your age," Amy remarked. "I'll need them back so I can see myself in the mirror."

"Can you take my picture first?"

Amy dug her phone out of her purse. Christine offered to snap a couple of pictures of Leah by herself and of mother and daughter together before Leah handed the glasses back to her mom. Damona held up a small mirror so Amy could view the back of her head. She thanked both stylists and left a $10 tip on each one's counter then paid and went in search of her husband.

"Do you think Daddy is at the train store or the Lego store?"

"The train store!"

Leah placed her small hand in Amy's as they wandered the halls of the Glendale Galleria past clothing, jewelry, and bookstores. She spotted him just where she thought he'd be. Amy shook her head in wonder at the grown man wearing a conductor's hat while guiding a tiny remote-controlled train through a tunnel. Some things never changed.

She tapped him gently on the shoulder. "We're all done."

"Hang on." He brought the train through the next crossing then flicked the off switch. "Shall we go to the Lego store?"

The youngest Cooper bounced excitedly. "Legos!"

Sheldon took his wife's free hand, and the trio headed down the hall to the bright yellow shop. The crowd was even larger than normal for a Saturday. Sheldon wormed his way in between a family of five and a group of teens marveling over the newest sets, while Amy guided her daughter to the build your own minifigure station. Numerous pairs of hands dug into the bins in search of the cutest, silliest, and most diabolical body parts and accessories.

Leah randomly pulled out a handful of heads, setting them to the side before plunging her hand into the torso bin. She repeated her actions for the pants and accessory pieces then methodically began sorting through them, tossing the duplicates back into the bins.

A boy of about five reached into Leah's torso pile. She quickly covered it and sent him a scathing look. The boy began wailing, and soon all eyes were on them.

"Leah, sweetie, that wasn't very nice," Amy admonished her quietly. To the mother she said, "I'm so sorry. We'll help you find him an identical one."

"I'm sorry. Brayden's at that stage where he thinks everything is rightfully his." She scolded her son for taking without asking, which caused him to begin wailing again.

Sheldon joined them, toting the new Batman set. "What is going on over here?"

"Let's buy this and get out of here. I'll tell you when there aren't so many people around," Amy murmured.

He scrunched his brow in confusion then got in line to pay while his wife and daughter stepped outside.

"Mommy, I didn't do anything wrong; he did."

"I know what he did wasn't okay, but that look you gave him was terrifying."

"But he wanted to take my Legos."

"That's no reason to scare anyone."

Sheldon emerged with a large yellow bag. "Can someone tell me what that was all about?"

Amy recounted the incident.

"Well, they were Leah's. That child had no right trying to take what was hers."

"That's not the point. You should have seen her face."

They continued their argument through the parking garage. Amy was about to start the engine, as there was already a line of cars vying for their spot, when Leah piped up from the backseat.

"I'm sorry. I'll never do it again. Please don't get a divorce."

They turned to look at her. "Monkey, we're not getting a divorce. How on earth did you come to that conclusion?"

"You're fighting. Jenna said her parents fought, and then they divorced. Now she only sees her dad on the weekends."

"Daddy and I are not getting a divorce. We just have a difference of opinion. We love each other, and we love you."

"Am I in trouble?"

They looked at each other. Amy shook her head almost imperceptibly, but Sheldon was able to pick up on it after 10 years of marriage.

"You're not in trouble." He looked to his wife who nodded in confirmation.

"Just please be more mindful of your facial expressions in the future, and be more open to sharing," Amy pleaded.

Leah breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Can we still go to Red Robin for lunch?"

Amy consulted her watch. "It's almost noon. Let's get in there while they still have some free tables."

They exited the car, much to the displeasure of the people in the cars behind them. Someone shouted an obscenity before Amy could cover her daughter's ears.

xxx

Sheldon deposited the new Lego set on the table in the game room. Ever since he had seen Dr. Lorvis's basement, he vowed to one day have a room that would rival it. A Ms Pac-Man and a Donkey Kong arcade terminal occupied one corner of the room. A floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcase filled with board games on the lower shelves and completed Lego sets on the upper shelves lined a wall. Various action figures and collectibles adorned the opposite wall, and a large table with padded folding chairs sat in the center of the room.

"Can we start tonight?" Leah asked excitedly.

"After we eat and put in the first load of laundry." He touseled her hair then joined his wife in the kitchen.

Leah gave Giuseppe his dinner then proceeded to her bedroom and withdrew the diary from its hiding spot.

 _January 1, 1991_

 _Last night I asked mother if I could stay up until midnight to ring in the new year. She shot me down just like last year and the year before. I briefly considered pestering her about it right before bedtime, as she would surely send me to the sin closet. Then I could have watched the ball drop through the slats if she kept me in there long enough. Instead, I went to bed but didn't sleep. I read under the covers with my booklight and peered out at my alarm clock occasionally. When the digital display flashed 12:00, I silently greeted the new year and drifted to sleep._

Leah thought back to her last New Year's Eve. Her parents had helped the kids build a fort in the corner of the game room. She, Cadence, and Nathaniel had played some old board games, while their dads and Uncle Raj played D&D at the table, and their moms chatted and sipped wine in the kitchen. Dylan, who was only four at the time, had fallen asleep early on. Just before midnight, everyone gathered to toast the New Year. Her eyes had been so heavy, but she fought to keep them open.

 _School starts up again tomorrow. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, we have library time second period, but on the other hand, I'm not looking forward to third period gym class. Before the break, Coach Alvarez told us we would be starting dodge ball. I can't throw or dodge. I wish Mother would write me a note, but she's so straightlaced, she would never allow me to skip class unless I was on my deathbed._

After dinner the trio retired to the game room. Sheldon carefully slit the box open and removed the bags of pieces. Leah sorted the bags by number. Amy was prepared with a pair of scissors. Once when she and Sheldon were engaged, she had pulled a bag open, and tiny pieces went flying everywhere. To say he was upset was an understatement.

Sheldon made sure they followed the directions by the book. The first time they had allowed their daughter to help, she found a minifigure in a bag marked with the number 3 before they had started and tried opening the bag. He tried reining in his compulsiveness, but his twitching eye gave him away. Amy gently removed the bag from her daughter's hand and explained the order they would open the packages. They were now on their third set as a family, and everyone had the routine down.

xxx

"Where did Leah learn that deathstare?" Amy asked as they lay in bed that night.

"Probably at school. You know how evil some kids can be. I'm sure she was just mimicking them and didn't really mean it."

"I know I'm probably overreacting, but that look... It was horrifying seeing my sweet little girl like that. It was like looking into the face of Stacey Miller," she trembled.

He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "Leah won't become the next Stacey Miller."

"I hope not, but she was pretty possessive over those pieces that she didn't even own. It's times like this I wish she wasn't an only child."

"Why?"

"Then she'd have someone to learn to share with."

Sheldon snorted. "That didn't work in my house. Missy hoarded all the VHS tapes even though Mom bought them for all of us. She and Junior both tried stealing the money Meemaw gave me for my birthday. I had to lock it in that puzzle box. Be thankful you were an only child."

"It was lonely at times."

"I would have preferred lonely over the torture I endured as a child."

They lay in silence for a couple of minutes before Amy spoke. "You don't ever regret our decision?"

He mulled it over. "I originally thought we'd have two, but after what happened, I'm happy with the way things turned out."

Leah pulled her ear away from the wall when the murmuring in the next room ceased. Who was Stacey Miller? And what happened that caused her to be an only child? Her parents had always been vague when she'd asked why she didn't have any siblings. They would just tell her how much joy she brought them and how she wouldn't have to share their attention. She would bring up the topic again, and if they didn't give her the details, she would look through the diaries.


	4. Chapter 4

_January 2, 1991_

 _I survived my first day back at school. Mrs. O'Brien asked each of us to stand up and tell the class about our favorite activity over the holidays. Jodie talked about her family's skiing trip in Aspen. Shane was excited about his new dirt bike. My favorite was when Grandma let me play her harp. That caused some of my classmates to snicker, and I overheard Toby McDonald say *cough* nerd *cough*. Mrs. O'Brien asked him if he needed to see the nurse. That got more giggles out of everyone._

 _I was so glad to escape homeroom to go to the library. We're supposed to all stay in the age 7-8 section. I usually wander off to the sixth grade area, but Mrs. O'Brien was keeping close tabs today, so I stayed with the class. I started reading the spines from the far left of the top row, the logical order. There was nothing I wanted to read. I had either read them four years ago, because they were all well below my current reading level, or the summaries didn't appeal to me at all._

 _When Mrs. O'Brien gave us the five-minute signal, I panicked. I wasn't going to leave without a book. I scanned the lower shelves, and a title caught my eye. It was a series of Little House on the Prairie books. I love the show, so the books have to be even better. Right? I checked out the first two books in the series._

 _I was not looking forward to dodgeball, and for good reason. Coach Alvarez chose two team captains "at random". If it's so random, why am I never selected? Of course I was chosen last. I'm not surprised, but it's still hurtful. For once can I at least be second last? Several of my teammates groaned when I joined them. I'm just thankful Stacey Miller was out ill._

 _I hope I'm wrong, but it seemed like more balls were thrown at me than at anyone else. I managed to dodge a couple, but I also got smacked in the back of my head and in the chest a few times. How they let that game into the curriculum is beyond me. I may not excel at sports, but no one in my class even comes close to my intellect. I have to keep telling myself that one day none of this will matter._

 _Mother just told me she's working late tomorrow. That means Jillian's babysitting! I tried not to look too excited._

"Leah, it's almost time. Are you coming?" Amy called as she headed towards her daughter's bedroom.

Leah shoved the diary under her pillow just as Amy peeked in through the open door. "I'm coming."

"You've been spending a lot of time in your room lately. Anything you want to talk about?"

"Nope."

"You're usually excited for our live shows." Amy pressed the back of her hand to Leah's forehead. "You don't feel warm, and you don't look sick."

"I'm fine, Mommy."

Amy narrowed her eyes and searched her daughter's face for telltale signs of dishonesty. Seeing none, she decided to let it go, at least for now. They headed down the hall to the library where Sheldon was arranging piles of flags on the coffeetable.

"Five minutes to showtime. Do you need to go over your lines again?"

"No, Daddy. I remember them."

"That's my girl."

Leah took her seat next to Amy who wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders. She snuggled into her mom's embrace while Sheldon double checked the laptop angle and adjusted the full-sized flags behind them. When everyone was in position, Amy poised her finger over the 'start' button. "And we're live in three, two, one..."

"Hello and welcome to Dr. Sheldon Cooper..."

"... Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper..."

"... and Leah Cooper..."

"...present Fun With Flags!"

Leah smiled into the webcam. "Today's topic is flags with animals on them. Our first flag is from the Cayman Islands."

Sheldon unfurled a flag with a blue background and waved it in front of the camera then moved it slightly to the side so his daughter was visible in the frame once again.

"As you can see, the Union Jack is located in the top left corner. Next to it is the Cayman Islands' coat of arms which consists of a shield, a turtle with a pineapple behind it, a golden lion, and the country's motto. The three green stars on the shield represent each of the three inhabited Islands - Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. The blue and white wavy bands represent the sea."

Amy held up a second, nearly identical, flag. "Fun fact, there are two versions of the flag - the blue for use on land and the red for use at sea."

Sheldon revealed the next flag. "This is the flag of Dominica. The bird featured on this flag is the sisserou parrot which can only be found in Dominica. Unfortunately, this beautiful, but terrifying, bird is endangered."

"Daddy, it's not terrifying," Leah laughed.

"Stick with the script," he whispered out the side of his mouth.

Amy plucked the next flag off her pile. "The flag of Bhutan features a dragon, depicting the country's name in the local language (Druk Yul), which translates as "country of the thunder dragon". Although dragons are mythical creatures, we thought it would be worth mentioning."

The trio showcased several more flags before signing off. Leah refreshed the screen, checking for comments. Over the years, Fun With Flags had acquired a large following. It wasn't unusual for their videos to garner 100 plus comments per show. "We're already at four comments!"

"Good ones, I hope?" Sheldon asked.

"I'll read them to you," Leah offered.

 _'Awesome show once again. Was great seeing you all at the conference last month.'_

 _'Leah stole the show. What a cutie!'_

 _'I've learned more from your show than I ever did in history class.'_

 _'Love you guys!'_

Sheldon breathed a sigh of relief. Even though the fiasco with the winner of the new Houston flag took place eleven years earlier, and everything turned out okay, he still worried over receiving negative comments. Leah angled the screen towards him. As he continued refreshing the page and Amy gathered the flags, placing them in the Rubbermaid totes, Leah retreated to her room.

 _January 3, 1991_

 _Jillian brought her tape recorder again. Today we listened to Roxette's 'Look Sharp' cassette. I belted out 'It Must Have Been Love' into a hairbrush, like she taught me. I'm also learning 'The Look'._

 _The first time Jillian came over, she wanted to watch MTV. When I told her we didn't have cable, she contemplated taking me to her house across the street. As much as I wanted to go, I knew that if Mother ever found out, she wouldn't let me out of her sight ever again, even if it meant she couldn't stay late at work to make a little extra money. She had already fired a few babysitters, though it was through their own doing. Mother caught Jessica making out with her boyfriend, and all Sherrie did was talk on the phone. I feel bad even thinking this about Mother, but having almost anyone else around made my days more tolerable._

 _Mother is very selective over what music I can listen to. She mostly plays classical music and rarely allows me to listen to anything with lyrics, unless it's Christmas music or children's songs. She always has the car radio turned to the news station._

 _Jillian and I expected her to come home at 6:30 today. At 6:00 she turned off the recorder and hid it in her extra large purse. She pulled out the book her class is reading, and I got out the first Little House book that I picked up from the school library. When Mother arrived at 6:25, we were quietly reading on the couch, and she was none the wiser._

Leah heard footsteps nearing her room. She pushed the little red book under her pillow and picked up a comic book from her nightstand.

"We have ten more comments," Sheldon announced.

"Yay!"

When Leah made no move to leave her room, he looked at her with concern. "Don't you want to see them?"

She hesitated then slid off the bed. They all took their seats on the couch while Leah read the comments aloud. There was one signed Justin, Trina, Paige, and Phoebe.

"It's been awhile since we've caught up with them," Amy mused. "We should give them a call."

"Mommy, was I supposed to be a twin?"

Amy furrowed her brow. "No. Where did that come from?"

"Paige and Phoebe are twins, and Daddy's a twin."

"Not everyone has a twin."

She tried a different tactic. "How come I don't have a brother or sister?"

Sheldon and Amy shared a look, then she composed herself. "Leah, if you're lonely just tell us. How about if we invite the twins over for a sleepover next weekend? We can ask Cadence too."

"Can we eat pizza and sing into hairbrushes?"

"Of course."

"I need to learn some Roxette songs. Can I search for them on YouTube?"

"Roxette? I can't even remember the last time I heard a Roxette song."

"I want to keep watching for comments. You can use the other laptop," Sheldon suggested, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Okay." Leah bounced off the couch, returning moments later with her mom's laptop.

Amy watched as her daughter typed 'It Must Have Been Love' into the search bar and was rewarded with several videos to choose from. "That's really specific. Where did you hear that song?"

"Umm... I haven't, but I've heard about it." She selected a video with lyrics, reading along in her head. She replayed it, this time watching her mom who had a faraway look in her eyes as she quietly sang along. Sheldon had also torn his gaze from the comments to watch her. After all these years, her melodious voice still affected him. When the song ended, Amy's expression hadn't changed.

"Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you sad?"

"I'm not sad, but it is a sad song. I was just reminiscing."

Leah snuggled up to her. "About what?"

"My childhood. I was about your age the first time I heard that song." Though she didn't state it aloud, the song now also reminded her of her breakup with Sheldon years ago. She shook her head to clear it. "Let's listen to something upbeat."

"Is 'The Look' upbeat?"

Amy nodded in the affirmative. "It is. Where did you hear these titles?"

Leah looked away and shrugged then performed the next search.

xxx

When Leah was tucked into her bed, Amy silently pulled her husband out onto the porch. Sheldon rubbed his arms. "What are we doing out here? It's chilly tonight."

"We'll have more privacy out here. I'll be right back." She returned with the old blanket from her apartment and sat on the porch swing. The springs creaked as he joined her. She cuddled up next to him, draping the blanket over their legs.

"Amy, what's going on?" He asked as he gently set the swing in motion.

She twisted the double helix charm around the chain on her neck. "I'm worried about Leah."

"Me too."

Her hands stilled as she turned her head towards his. "I was hoping you'd reassure me that nothing was wrong. What have you noticed?"

"She's been spending a lot of time in her room. Usually she's so excited to participate in Fun With Flags, but we called her several times before she even responded. We really cut it close today. Would she have come out if you hadn't gone to get her? Then she took off to her room almost as soon as we were done. When I asked her if she wanted to read more comments, she didn't seem very eager."

"I've also noticed she hasn't been giving Giuseppe much attention over the last week. It's like she's withdrawing from the activities she loves. Do you think she's being bullied?"

"I hope not."

She pulled the blanket up to her chin and pressed her body closer to his. "Thank God for Cadence. Even if Leah is being teased, at least she has someone her age on her side, something you and I never had when we were growing up. I worry though that one day they'll grow apart. Many childhood friendships don't last past middle school."

Sheldon ran his hand along his face. "We have a few years before then. I hope it doesn't come to that."

"She's been asking some strange questions lately. Were you as confused as I was about her choice of music?"

"It was very peculiar. I don't know what to make of it."

Amy raised her eyes heavenward. The light pollution in Pasadena blocked out the stars, but the full moon glowed bright in the night sky. Sheldon followed her gaze. They sat wordlessly for a few minutes, the creaking springs the only sound as they rhythmically swung to and fro.

Amy was the first to break the silence. "When she brought up the sibling question again, I'm glad I was able to distract her with the offer of a sleepover, but we can't avoid her questions forever. How do you tell something like that to a small child, even one as mature as Leah? I don't want to scare her."

"Maybe she's mature enough."

She rested her head on his chest as they continued swinging. "Maybe. I'm hoping she doesn't ask again anytime soon. Either way, we'll need to choose our words carefully."

"We should go in. Even the heat from your bottom can't keep me warm." He stood and held his hands out to her, pulling her up.

 **A/N: Thank you all again for the favorites, follows, and reviews. Next up, the sleepover. How will Sheldon handle a group of giggling girls?**

 **Once again, if you have any ideas of what you'd like to see in later chapters that fit with canon through season 9, let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

_January 7, 1991_

 _On Friday when Mrs. O'Brien asked us to team up in groups of two for this year's science fair projects, I was glad that for once no one was interested in choosing me as a partner. I work so much better solo. Unfortunately, that meant I was automatically paired up with Stacey Miller who returned today after being out ill last week. I could tell she wasn't pleased with the arrangement either. I begged Mrs. O'Brien to allow me to do an individual project but was told there is an even number of students so everyone needs to pair up._

 _Stacey is actually one of the smarter kids in my class, but her attitude is frightening. With one look, she has even made some of the boys cry. I call it her deathstare. Several of us have tried complaining to the teachers, but she's very careful to adjust her features in their presence and turn on the fake charm._

 _Mother was so upset back in November when the school demanded we pay for my damaged math textbook. I tried convincing them that Stacey did it (I know she did because she tore the front cover and a few random pages right in front of me), but they didn't believe me. Mother sent me to the sin closet that night, for 'lying' to her and because she needed to put in extra hours at work to pay for a new one._

 _I had a few ideas for our project, but Stacey shot each one down. It's always her way or no way. I tried being nice, even asking her what ideas she had, but she just scoffed at me. As Mrs. O'Brien walked past to check on how we were doing, Stacey offered her a dazzling smile. As soon as our teacher was out of earshot, she sent me her deathstare._

The sound of the doorbell prompted Leah to snap the diary shut. She lifted her mattress and shoved it in further than ever before. It was bad enough that she was reading her mom's innermost thoughts, but if one of the other girls saw it, that would not bode well for the Coopers.

She ran to the front door just as Amy opened it to reveal their first guests. "Hi Trina! Hi girls!"

The twins shyly mumbled hello.

"Hey, Amy. Thanks so much for the invitation. It's all they've been able to talk about all week." Trina craned her neck over her friend's shoulder. "Where's Sheldon?"

"I have him in the kitchen on chopping duty. Leah really wanted pizza, so I thought each girl could create their own mini serving." The girls' eyes lit up at the mention of their favorite food. "Leah, why don't you show your guests to the game room?"

Trina handed her daughters their pillows and sleeping bags. "Have a good time. Don't cause any trouble."

"We won't," they promised, in unison.

Leah led them down the hall to the room they would all be sleeping in. Her parents had helped her build a fort out of her dad's old Batman and Star Wars blankets and sheets, and her friends placed their bedding in it next to hers. Both sets of eyes scanned the walls in fascination.

"That's a lot of Legos! It's like going to The Lego Store," Paige exclaimed.

"I helped assemble three of them," Leah said with pride. She gestured to the half finished Wayne Manor set on the table. "We're working on this one now."

Paige picked up the tiny Batman figure, twirling it in her fingers. Leah held out her hand for it. "His cowl comes off to reveal his alter ego, Bruce Wayne." She removed it to demonstrate.

Phoebe patted her belly. "When do we get to eat?"

"We have to wait for Cadence. She'll be here soon."

The girls wandered into the kitchen and sat at the table where the adults were talking about the latest flag convention.

"You missed a good one this year, but I'm sure your mom told you about it," Amy relayed to Trina.

"She's still talking about it. I really wanted to go, but Justin's mom was out of town and couldn't watch the girls."

"Leah got in on a technicality. Sheldon informed them we would not do Fun With Flags without an integral member of the show."

Sheldon set the knife down and looked over his shoulder. "You bet your sweet 'B' I did."

Paige tugged on Trina's sleeve. "Mom, could we start a flag show?"

A look of horror crossed over the lanky physicist's face. "Don't worry, Sheldon. I have no plans to compete with your show," Trina reassured him. He relaxed and turned back to his task.

"Leah, can we play with your flags?"

Sheldon whipped his head back around towards the little voice. "Flags are not toys!" The twins shrank back. Amy sent him a stern look, and he softened. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I'm just very protective of them."

Phoebe's stomach growled. "I'm hungry!"

"I'm so sorry. I gave them a snack before we left."

"It's okay. I have some carrots they can munch on while they're waiting."

"Thanks, Amy. I should get going. Justin will be off work soon, and we're going out to dinner and a movie tonight."

Amy walked her friend to the door. "We'll have to catch up again sometime." She waved as the other woman pulled away from the curb then returned to the kitchen where the girls were competing to see who could crunch their carrot the loudest. She noted the tension in her husband's shoulders and knew he was cringing even though she couldn't see his face.

"Sheldon, I've got this. I won't be upset if you want to read or watch TV." she murmured.

"I'm almost done." He tensed as a deafening crunch echoed through the room. "But I think I'll take you up on your offer."

Penny rapped at the door minutes later. "Hey, Ames! Wow, what is going on in here?"

"They're eating carrots. Don't ask."

Cadence quickly hugged Amy then ran inside to find the other girls.

"I brought a little something for us grownups," Penny said, indicating the bottle of wine. "I figured we'd need it."

"They're good girls. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Penny followed her bestie to the kitchen. "You say that because you've never had this many girls sleep over at once. Back in Nebraska my friends and I would stay up 'til dawn talking and laughing and playing games. We'd call boys and hang up. Those were the good old days before call display."

"Sounds fun," Amy said wistfully. "Thanks for helping out." She pulled the pizza dough out of the bread machine where it had done all the work of rising and kneading it. She ripped it into four pieces, and rolled them out before topping each one with pizza sauce.

The girls lined up to add their ingredients. Sheldon had preheated the oven, so it was ready to go. Twenty minutes later they were chowing down. Amy went to check on Sheldon who was watching Back to the Future on Blu-ray for the upteenth time.

After dinner the girls retreated to the game room where Leah set up the playlist on her mom's laptop. They had downloaded the whole Roxette 'Look Sharp' album and a few other gems from the '80s.

"What is this?" Paige asked as the first few notes of 'The Look' reverberated through the speakers.

"Some stuff my mom listened to when she was our age."

"It's pretty catchy," Cadence admitted.

Soon all four of them were singing along to the chorus into the hairbrushes Amy provided them. Sheldon turned up the volume on the movie as the music in the next room grew louder with each passing minute. Amy and Penny set their wine glasses down and marched to the game room.

"Leah, can you turn it down just a bit."

"Sorry, Mommy."

"Dr. Fowler-Cooper?"

"Is everything okay, Phoebe?"

"What are some good sleepover games?"

Penny intervened. "Truth or Dare is a classic. Hey, Ames. Remember the first time you played it with me and Bernadette, and you asked us what temperature is needed to cook beef?" She snickered.

"Hey! It was my first time. I was unaware of the specifics." She addressed the girls. "I know a better game. It's called Never Have I Ever." Amy turned to her bestie. "Remember when we played at the cabin in Big Bear?"

Penny shuddered at the memory. "Don't remind me."

"Sheldon and I had fun. I think the girls will enjoy it."

"How do you play?" Leah asked.

"Sweetie, I think we need to find you a different game. Ames, it's a drinking game. We can't give alcohol to children."

"It doesn't have to be a drinking game. Sheldon and I played it occasionally on date night with pennies."

Penny furrowed her brow. "How does that work?"

"Each person gets a roll of pennies. One person says 'never have I ever' then says something they've never done. Anyone who has done that thing gives the asker a penny. Do you girls want to give it a try?"

The room erupted in a chorus of 'yeah's!'. She left the room and returned moments later with four rolls. The three guests tore into the wrappers and poured the change into piles. Leah was more meticulous, slowly unraveling the wrapper then stacking her copper discs into towers of ten.

"Dr. Fowler-Cooper, do we get to keep our winnings?" Paige queried.

"Yes, I think that would be fair. And please call me Auntie Amy."

The girls decided Leah should go first, as she was the hostess, then continue clockwise.

"Never have I ever gotten a B on a test." Each girl handed Leah a penny.

Cadence piped up, "My turn. Hmm... Never have I ever had parents who talked about flags." Cadence's pile grew by three pennies.

"Never have I ever..."

When they made sure the girls were comfortable, the moms left the room.

"They're so innocent," Penny marveled. "Those are not the kinds of questions we asked in Nebraska."

When Amy peeked in on Sheldon again, he paused the movie. "It's gotten a lot quieter in there."

"I asked Leah to turn it down." She cocked her ear and could just barely hear the recorded music through the wall. "They're playing a game. I'll let you get back to your movie." She leaned over and pecked him on the lips then stepped into the hall with her bestie.

"It sounds like everything's under control. I'd better get home to tuck Dylan in."

"Thanks, Penny. I'll see you tomorrow."

Amy went to check on the girls again. Satisfied that everyone was playing nice, she returned to the livingroom. "Mind if I join you?"

Sheldon patted her spot on the couch. She tucked her legs beneath her and snuggled up to him, enjoying the weight of his arm over her shoulders as he pulled her even closer. They watched the movie in companionable silence until the walls shook with the sounds of 80s pop in the next room. Amy sighed and disentangled herself.

"Girls, can you turn it down a bit?"

Phoebe lowered the volume. "Sorry, Auntie Amy. Cadence dared me."

"Yeah, Mommy. We're playing Truth or Dare now."

"I suppose that's okay as long as you set reasonable dares. Would you like any snacks?"

"Can we have ice cream?" Leah asked.

"Yes, you can. Ice cream for all!"

Amy led the group to the kitchen and presented them with the choice of chocolate or rainbow. As they made their selections, Sheldon peeked into the room. His wife set him a bowl on the counter. "There's still some rainbow left."

The girls chatted about school between spoonfuls of the cold treat. Leah tried to explain her science fair project to the twins. They looked just as bewildered as Christine at the salon. Sheldon attempted to use visual and sound effects, but that seemed to confuse them even more.

"Cadence, why didn't you partner up with Leah?" Paige asked.

Leah covertly glanced at her mom, whose expression hadn't changed. Did she forget she wasn't given a choice when she was partnered up against her will? Or maybe she wasn't paying attention to the conversation. She would have to figure out a way to ask her.

"Our teacher said we could work in pairs or alone. The Doppler Effect just isn't my thing. I'm growing beans in different liquids to see what grows them best. My dad did the same project when he was my age."

xxx

Sheldon lay on his back holding his pillow over his head. "Shouldn't we tell them to go to sleep? It's 2 a.m."

"According to Penny, no one actually gets any sleep at a sleepover."

"Oh, dear Lord! What could they possibly have to talk about for so long? I don't know if I can handle the giggling all night long. It's like living with Missy all over again."

"Except that these girls aren't tormenting you."

"True." He set his pillow down and rested the back of his head upon it.

"I'm glad Leah's having a good time. I want her to have the childhood we were denied."

"Does it have to be at the expense of a good night's sleep?"

Amy propped herself up on her elbow. "Why don't we have our own conversation? We can talk about something so boring it will put us to sleep," she suggested.

"Alright." He paused briefly. "Geology's not a real science."

"Good. Let's keep going with that topic. The three basic types of rocks are igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma. Examples of igneous rocks are granite and peridotite. Metamorphic..."

He groaned. "I can't do this. Geology isn't just boring, it's downright annoying."

"Would it help if I sang to you?"

"Amy, seriously?"

She began humming the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme.

"That's actually quite soothing." He flipped onto his side, nestling under the covers with a small smile upon his lips. She settled in behind him, flinging her arm over his side.

"Night, Sheldon."

"Night."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you everyone for your favorites, follows, and reviews. I hope you're enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it.**

Leah set her pillow back on her bed. When she returned to the game room, Sheldon unfastened the binder clips, releasing the Dark Knight sheet from the adjacent Star Wars sheet. Amy wadded up each one before tossing them into the awaiting laundry basket. The little girl looked wistfully at the spot where only moments ago the fort she and her friends had slept in the previous night had stood.

Amy picked up the overflowing basket, balancing it on her hip. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah! Can they sleep over again soon?"

Sheldon's eye twitched. "I think we should wait awhile before hosting again. Maybe you'll be invited to their houses."

"If I had a sister, we could have sleepovers all the time. Even a brother would be fun. Why didn't you want me to have a sibling?"

Her parents shared a look. They knew the topic would resurface but had hoped it wouldn't be so soon.

Sheldon cleared his throat. "Leah, it's not that we didn't want you to have a sibling. There were events that led us to the decision we made."

"What events?"

Amy nodded almost imperceptibly to her husband. They couldn't put this off any longer. "Leah, please wait for us in the library. We need to get all this," she indicated the sheets with a tilt of her head, "in the washing machine, then I promise we'll tell you why you're an only child."

"Okay."

Once the washer was running, Sheldon turned to his wife. "What do we tell her?"

"Just the bare minimum. I'll do the talking."

The trio settled in on the old brown couch with Leah in the middle. Amy turned to her daughter. "I want you to know how much we love you and how proud we are of you." Sheldon nodded in agreement and touseled her hair.

Amy adjusted the hem of her skirt. She rested her hands on her knees then lifted them when she crossed one leg over the other. She settled them into her lap, twisting her wedding ring. Leah looked at her expectantly.

"Alright, I guess I'll just jump right in. We were so excited when we found out we were pregnant with you. We read all the literature, and Auntie Bernadette was a fountain of information. We made a list of possible names, bought a crib, decorated the spare bedroom. Everything was going so well the first six months..." She faltered then tried again. "When I went in for my six-month checkup, my glucose was significantly elevated. I did everything I could to normalize it. Then a month later the doctor encouraged bed rest.

"Daddy was so worried about me that we moved into the Wolowitz's spare bedroom so I wouldn't have to navigate the stairs. He wanted to stay with me constantly, but his work was suffering. Uncle Stuart offered to stay with me during the day while his friend Dale minded the store."

"What did you do all day?"

"I had more free time than I ever had before, so I watched videos and read a lot."

"Anything good?"

"I read everything I could get my hands on, just like you. I read medieval literature, genetics articles, even physics text books. I also kept a special journal for that time period."

Leah snuggled into her dad's side to get a good look at her mom's face. "What did you write in the journal?"

"Everything - how I felt that day, every time you kicked..."

"Can I read it?"

Amy licked her lips. "Maybe one day I'll feel comfortable sharing. For now, I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can."

"Is it called 'All About Leah'?"

Amy shook her head. "I didn't give it a name. We didn't know if we were having a boy or girl because we wanted it to be a surprise. The journal had a monkey-themed cover. I was going to use it as a baby book then ended up buying a different one when you were born."

Leah stored that piece of information to memory then changed the subject before her patents got suspicious. "You didn't get bored lying in bed all day?"

"It was boring sometimes. Everyone tried to keep me entertained as best as they could. Uncle Howard performed magic tricks for me in the evenings, Auntie Bernadette and I had plenty of time for girl talk, Nathaniel sat on the bed with his Hotwheels cars, and Daddy told me all about his day at work. He went into so much detail that it was almost like I was there."

"I do know how to tell a great story."

"I could have done without your bathroom schedule."

"It wouldn't have been a complete recounting of my day if I left that out."

She ignored his last comment. "You were so attentive. Bringing me my favorite snacks, massaging my feet. I didn't think it was possible, but I fell even more in love with you." Her eyes glazed over as her mind wandered eight and a half years into the past.

 _Hot tears soaked through the thin fabric of her nightgown. "Sheldon, what's wrong?"_

 _"I did this to you!" He sobbed._

 _She stroked his hair. "Don't blame yourself; we both wanted this. It's no one's fault. These things just happen."_

 _"All those years wasted when I kept you at arms length instead of admitting my feelings. I don't know what I was so afraid of. If only we were younger..."_

 _"Sheldon, we don't know if age would have made a difference. Lots of women my age and older get pregnant every day. And they weren't wasted years because we were together. Yes, we did take things much slower than other couples, but I believe that by not rushing into anything, we are stronger for it. Our bond deepened as our relationship evolved, and nothing will break it."_

 _"That's why I can't lose you!" He choked out._

 _"You won't. I'll be fine as long as I follow the doctor's orders," she reassured him._

 _His hand rested on her swollen belly, and she laid hers on top, gently squeezing his fingers. He lifted his head slightly off her chest, his red-rimmed eyes meeting hers, searching for the truth. "Do you promise?"_

 _Tears filled her eyes. "We've made it through tough times before, and we'll get through this. I love you, Sheldon Lee Cooper."_

 _His trembling lips met hers, offering her the gentlest of kisses before pulling back ever so slightly. "I love you more."_

 _She gazed into his piercing blue eyes. "I don't think that's possible."_

 _He rested his head back onto her chest, and they lay quietly, their breathing the only sound in the still house._

 _When his breathing slowed and his jaw slackened, she placed her free hand on the side of her belly. "Monkey, we already love you so much. Everything will work out. We can't wait to meet you," she whispered._

"Mommy? Are you okay?"

Amy shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

"Did you decide not to have another baby because you didn't want to be bored again?"

When Amy hesitated, Sheldon jumped in. "It was very hard for me to see your mom in bed all the time. She even needed help getting to the bathroom..."

Amy cut him off with a look. "After... everything, we decided it was best not to have more children."

The little girl hung her head. "I'm sorry I caused you so many problems."

Amy scooted closer to her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "Don't ever say that! You are the best thing that has ever happened to us. Watching you grow has brought so much joy into our lives. You are worth every moment I spent in that bed."

Leah sniffled. "You're just saying that."

Sheldon leaned over, picked up his laptop, clicked away at the keys, then set it back on the coffeetable. "Leah, I think you've forgotten about these."

She faced the screen and stared back at a much younger version of herself. She was swaddled in a pale pink blanket in her mom's arms. Her dad sat on the edge of the hospital bed, his arm wrapped around his wife's shoulders. His smile was radiant. Amy looked exhausted, but the corners of her mouth were turned up in a small smile. The photo was replaced by the next slide. Her parents were looking away from the camera, regarding the tiny bundle with awe.

Leah looked up from the screen to watch her parents' expressions as they viewed the scenes from their past. They didn't appear upset, but she got the sense they were holding something back.

xxx

After tucking Leah in, Sheldon and Amy retired to their room. It was early, but they hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. He slipped into bed while she brushed her teeth in the master bathroom and lifted her corner of the comforter when she approached.

"I hope Leah's satisfied with the information we gave her," she whispered.

"Me too. When she's older, perhaps we can give her more details."

"Maybe." She leaned towards the middle of the bed, and he followed suit. "Goodnight."

"Night," he replied just before their lips met in a quick kiss. After turning out the lights, he flipped onto his side with her spooning him.

Leah waited in her room until the murmurings and rustling in the adjacent room quieted then slipped out down the hall to the library. The moonlight shining through the bay window provided just enough light to illuminate her surroundings. She scanned the fourth shelf of the book wall. Working out the calculations in her head, assuming the diaries were all the same thickness and taking into account that there may have been periods of time when entries were few and far between, she determined the monkey-themed book would be three-quarters of the way from the left behind the 'Developmental Neurobiology' textbook.

She carefully pushed the rolling ladder an inch to the right then paused. Hearing nothing in the hall, she pushed a little more, pausing again. She continued the painstaking process until the ladder was finally in place then climbed the rungs to the fourth shelf. She tugged the biology text free and set it aside. Reaching into the empty space, she wrapped her fingers around the spine. Mentally crossing her fingers, she slid it out and noted it had a plain navy cover. She climbed down with it and turned to the last page. It was blank. Thumbing through it backwards, she found the first page with writing. Jackpot! It was dated May 20, 2019, about the time of her mom's seventh month of pregnancy. She had been off by just one book.

Grinning, she climbed back up and wrenched the monkey book out of its hiding place. She replaced the navy and biology books in their rightful spots before climbing down one last time. Settling into the window seat, she opened the journal to the first page.

 _May 23, 2019_

 _Last month when I went in for my six-month check, Dr. Cortes informed me I had developed gestational diabetes. She sent us home with an armful of brochures but told us not to worry. This issue was becoming an increasingly common finding. I followed the diet to a T, and Sheldon and I began walking every evening to get in the recommended exercise. Everything seemed fine until two days ago._

 _When I awoke Tuesday morning, my feet, ankles, and calves were so swollen that it was difficult to walk, and my abdomen was extended much more than the previous night. I called to see if we could move up my next appointment. When I gave the triage nurse my symptoms, she urged me to go to the ER immediately. By the grace of a deity I didn't think I believed in, I made it down the three flights of stairs to the lobby. Sheldon was shaking so hard that I refused to let him attempt to drive me. He called an Uber as I sat on the bottom step, contemplating if the situation was really as bad as it seemed._

 _I was ushered into a wheelchair the moment we stepped into the hospital lobby. They whisked me off to the imaging department for an ultrasound. Sheldon ran in after us, catching his breath. He held my hand as the ultrasound wand ran over my abdomen. I held on for dear life as I took in slow, deep breaths to relax and told myself that this was no different than any of the other times I had done this over the past seven months._

 _From what I could tell as I watched the monitor, Baby Cooper didn't appear to be in any distress. I relaxed my grip on Sheldon's hand and took my eyes off the screen to observe his face. His eyes were glued to the screen, his brow furrowed. The tech stood up and left the room without a word. I turned back to the monitor desperately wishing I was better at deciphering the moving image._

Leah cocked her ear towards the hallway. Someone was coming. She stood and spun around, unsure what to do with the evidence. She opted for pushing it under the couch and picked up the first thing she saw - her dad's newest Batman comic book - and took a seat.

Amy peeked into the half-darkened room. "Leah, what are you doing in here? You have school tomorrow. Get to bed."

"Sorry, Mommy. I couldn't sleep, so I tried reading."

When Leah stayed rooted to her spot on the couch, Amy rose her voice just enough to mean business but not so much as to wake Sheldon. "Leah, now!"

The little girl slid off the couch sulking. She would need to retrieve the book before her parents found it, but it would have to wait until tomorrow to not raise suspicion.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Warning - this chapter contains some potentially-upsetting pregnancy-related material. Please proceed with caution.**

After a fitful sleep, Leah awoke to a nearly-darkened room. She glanced at her alarm clock - 4:49 a.m. Her parents wouldn't be up for another hour. Perfect. This would give her time to finish reading the journal entry. She threw off her covers then froze as a low moan emanated from the next room. She cocked her ear towards the wall. The murmurings were barely discernible, but there was no doubt they were awake. Just her luck.

She sat in the middle of her bed pondering the chances they would stay in bed until their usual weekday wake time. Her dad thrived on schedules, and she hoped this time was no different. As she debated whether or not to chance it, their hushed, but audible, dialog decided for her.

"Permission to board?"

"Permission granted."

The unmistakable sound of creaking bedsprings resonated from the adjacent room. They were playing Star Trek again; this could take awhile. Leah quietly stepped out of bed, grabbed her booklight, then crept through her open door towards the library. She shone her light under the couch, locating the monkey journal. Finding her place, she clipped the light on and continued reading.

 _The minutes ticked by without a word from any medical staff. After 20 minutes had passed, I asked Sheldon if he'd mind peeking out the door to try to find out any information. He rested his free hand on my belly and declared he wasn't leaving us. Ten minutes later, at my urging, he reluctantly got up and scanned the hall. Various nurses and techs were bustling about, but he did not see ours._

 _Our tech returned with Dr. Cortes 45 minutes after she had left us. By that time we were both so anxious, it was a wonder we hadn't crushed each other's finger bones with our death grips. She apologized profusely for the wait as the doctor squirted more ultrasound gel and pressed the wand gently over my uterus, moving it methodically to get a view from all angles. The room quieted as they both studied the monitor, the whoosh-whoosh of Baby Cooper's heartbeat the only sound._

 _After what felt like a lifetime, but in reality was only about 10 minutes, Dr. Cortes nodded to the tech who then left the room. She looked up at us for the first time that day. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding as a feeling of dread washed over me. Sheldon has never been good at reading facial cues, but even he could tell something was very wrong._

 _"Dr. and Dr. Cooper, there's no easy way for me to say this, so I'm just going to come out and say it." She paused briefly before continuing. "Amy's amniotic sac has an excess of fluid. The medical term is polyhydramnios."_ _She indicated the area on the monitor, tracing around it with her fingertip._ _She explained that the condition was sometimes a result of gestational diabetes and is seen in about 1% of pregnancies._

 _"What does this mean for Amy and the baby?"_

 _Dr. Cortes composed herself before explaining the possible risks, one of the scariest being placental abruption, or a partial or complete peeling away of the placenta from the uterine wall prior to delivery. This can deprive the baby of oxygen and nutrients and cause heavy bleeding in the mother. Sheldon gripped my hand even tighter._

 _She went on to tell us the fetal risks, which include fetal anemia and chromosomal abnormalities. Luckily, she noted that Baby Cooper's vital signs were normal, and there weren't any noticeable deformities or abnormalities. The one that bothers me the most is the greater chance of stillbirth. I have carried this baby for seven months and have already grown attached to and am protective of this tiny being, the product of not only our combined DNA but also of our love. I asked what I could do to improve my chances for the baby and myself. She strongly encouraged bed rest. I looked over at Sheldon who had turned ghostly white._

 _"Amy, you can't go home."_

 _"Why on earth not?"_

 _"The stairs," he said simply._

 _At the doctor's puzzled look, I explained that I would need to climb three flights of stairs as the elevator was broken and had been for years. She advised me not to put that kind of strain on my body and asked if I had any family I could stay with until the birth. I didn't want to put my mom through the stress but would stay there if left with no other choice. Dr. Cortes offered to keep me in observation overnight at the hospital to give us time to find a place to stay. She told us to take our time leaving the room, and if I wished to stay overnight, she would alert the desk to have the paperwork ready._

 _When she was gone, I raised my head to meet Sheldon's eyes. He had picked up the wand, attempting to mimic the doctor's actions. When he located the area where our baby is growing, he stared intently at the monitor, his lips pursed. I called his name softly. He didn't appear to hear, so I tried again a little louder this time. He reluctantly tore his gaze away, and we regarded each other silently; we were both at a loss for words._

 _I was the first to break the silence. I don't remember what I said. All I know is that the words came out in a voice that didn't sound like my own. I recall trying to sit up from my prone position, but Sheldon held me down gently with his arm. He pressed the nurse call button, and moments later a nurse appeared in the doorway. The two of them lifted me off the exam table and into the wheelchair. Shortly after I was whisked off to the observation room._

 _As soon as I was settled in, I called the university, apologizing for not contacting them sooner and to inform them of the situation. Dr. Amir was very accommodating. His wife had encountered a difficult pregnancy two years earlier. He reassured me that my position would be waiting for me when I returned and that my lab rats would be fed in my absence._

 _Next I texted Penny and Bernadette to alert them of my predicament. Penny is almost as far along as I am. She called shortly after expressing her concerns. I assured her that the likelihood that she would develop the same condition was slim to none. She said she didn't want to chance it and would take it easier. Bernadette called to ask if there was anything she could do to help. I told her I'd let her know if I thought of anything._

 _There was a lounge chair in the room so a guest could stay over. I lay on my left side facing the chair and the vital sign monitor Sheldon insisted I be hooked up to. He also asked for an ultrasound machine, but that request was denied. Together we observed my vitals. My heart rate held steady at 85 beats per minute. My blood pressure was slightly elevated, but that was to be expected._

 _That evening as he struggled to get situated, I urged him to go home as our bed would be a lot more comfortable than the lounger, but he refused. After thrashing about for several minutes, he got up and sat on the edge of the bed. It was a tight fit, but he squeezed in behind me and cuddled up against my back. I was thankful for the closeness and the extra body heat, but I don't think either of us got any sleep, between our the thoughts running through our heads and the various noises coming from the hallway. Occasionally a nurse would check in on me to make sure I was comfortable._

Leah reluctantly pushed the journal under the couch again. She needed to return to her room before her parents noticed she was missing. Back in bed she tried to get in a little extra sleep as she had hardly slept the last two nights.

At 6:30 a freshly-showered Amy entered her daughter's room. Leah was out like a light. She turned off the alarm that under normal circumstances would have woken the little girl immediately. If it hadn't been a school day, she'd have let her sleep a little longer, but they had a schedule to keep. Opening the blinds was futile, as the November sky was still dark at this hour. She gently placed her hand on her arm and addressed her softly at first, her voice rising gradually to avoid startling her.

xxx

When Amy arrived at the Hofstadter residence after work, Leah didn't stall like she normally did on Penny's weeks to pick the kids up from school. She bid goodbye to her best friend then trudged down the sidewalk next to her mom.

"Everything okay, Monkey?"

"I'm just tired and a little sad."

When they approached their house moments later, Amy stopped and knelt down in front of her. "Did you and Cadence get into a fight?"

"No."

"Is everything okay at school?"

"Yeah."

"You know you can tell me anything."

Leah wrestled with her thoughts. "Mommy, when you were pregnant with me, did you ever think you were going to die?"

"Honestly?" The little girl nodded sagely. "A very tiny part of me thought it was a remote possibility."

Leah clutched her mom's hand, pulling her towards the steps. They sat side by side, Amy's arm wrapped tightly around her daughter's shoulders. "Did you think I would die?"

"Where is all this coming from?"

"Did you?"

Amy let out a shaky breath. "Again, I thought it was a remote possibility. I did everything I could to keep us both safe, and it all worked out. Leah, I'm sorry if I scared you yesterday. You asked, and we didn't want to lie to you."

"I'm sorry you could have died because of me," she sobbed.

Amy raised her daughter's chin, looking her into her red-rimmed eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry about. None of it was your fault." Leah sniffled and nodded uncertainly. "Please don't blame yourself. It was an unfortunate situation, but I meant it when I said every moment was worth it."

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Monkey?"

Leah looked down at her shoes. "Nothing."

"Don't be afraid to talk to us. You know you can come to me and Daddy with anything."

Leah raised her eyes slowly to meet her mom's. "Are you sad you didn't have more babies?"

"I'm not sad for myself, but I feel bad that you don't have a playmate. I was an only child too, so I know how lonely it can be."

Leah crawled into Amy's lap, for the first time in months. "Don't be sad for me, Mommy. I understand. I'll never complain about being an only child again."

Amy wrapped her arms around her daughter and blinked back tears. Leah snaked her arms around her neck. They remained in that position for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts until Amy broke the silence. "Come on. Let's go inside and start on dinner."

xxx

After dinner the Coopers retired to the library. Sheldon set his Spider-Man comic book on the coffeetable before taking a sip of bottled water. The bottle cap slipped from his fingers and slid under the couch.

"I'll get it!" Leah volunteered. She got on her hands and knees, stretching her arm until her fingers grasped their target. She stood, triumphantly holding out the dust-covered cap to her dad.

He shuddered. "I'm not putting that back on anything that will touch my mouth, or any other part of me for that matter."

Amy sent him an apologetic look. "We really need to run a broom under there. Be right back."

When she returned, Leah grabbed the broom from her grip and shoved it under the couch.

"Make sure you get the other side too," Amy advised.

Leah cautiously swept the area where the monkey journal lay hidden. When the broom tapped the edge of the book, she glanced at her parents. Seeing that they continued reading, she breathed a silent sigh of relief. "All done! No more dust bunnies," she announced.

As Sheldon looked up from his book to voice his appreciation, his peripheral vision took in the book wall. Leah's gaze followed his. That's when she noted the biology text she had pulled the previous day was not perfectly flush with the ones next to it. Nothing got past her dad's OCD. She needed to distract him fast.

He twisted in his seat to face his wife. "Amy, did you..."

"Daddy, what's the name of the Deep Space Nine/Star Trek: The Original Series Trouble With Tribbles crossover episode?" She interrupted.

"Trials and Tribble-ations. Why?"

"I was going to look it up online so we can watch it again."

He consulted his watch. "It's getting late. How about we put that on the agenda for Saturday?"

"Okay."

Amy stood and stretched. "Let's get you to bed, Monkey." The trio left the room, the conspicuous biology text book temporarily forgotten.

 **A/N: Thank you all again for the follows, favorites, and reviews. Your feedback means a lot to me.**


	8. Chapter 8

The next evening while her dad fired up the grill and her mom was busy preparing baking potatoes, a salad, and brownies made from scratch, Leah fished the monkey journal out from under the couch and continued where she left off.

 _Bernadette explained our situation to Howard, and they graciously offered us their spare room on the main floor. Sheldon was dead set against it at first. He didn't want to be in their debt. After realizing we didn't have any better options, he relented._

 _The Wolowitz's have been very accommodating. Howard made sure the temperature is ideal and the bedding is comfortable. They seem to know just when to give us our privacy and when we want company, and even little Nathaniel has been relatively quiet._

 _When I was situated in bed, I finally convinced Sheldon to go home and gather everything we'll need for our two-month stay. I made the case that he hadn't showered or changed in over 24 hours, and Howard didn't have pants long enough to fit him, not to mention his need for clean underwar. I almost laughed at the faces he made as realization hit him. Along with my clothes, I asked him to bring my laptop and this journal. I need an outlet for my thoughts and something to do to pass the day. He also brought me my old copy of The Canterbury Tales. He knows me so well._

 _When he returned he carefully set my laptop on the lamp table, dropped everything else, and rushed the bed. Before I could register what was happening, his lips were on mine. A casual onlooker may have thought we had reunited after he had just returned from months at war overseas, not being three miles apart for 90 minutes. He smelled so good freshly showered. I felt sticky and gross and would have killed for a shower. I settled for a sponge bath instead. Sheldon was very thorough. Had the situation been different, it could have been erotic._

 _Bernadette presented us with dinner in bed. Under normal circumstances Sheldon would never eat in bed, but he insisted on staying with me. It's very sweet, but I feel terrible that he thinks he needs to be with me constantly. He even refuses to go to work. It scares me that the same man, who only years earlier fought against taking a vacation, is voluntarily taking time off. Luckily the head of the physics department was understanding and is allowing him a sabbatical leave. Our finances are stable, so I'm not worried about the money. I'm just worried about his mental state._

 _Last night, as we were lying here in this darkened room, my sweet husband, the man our friends like to refer to as an emotionless robot, openly wept. He blames himself for, and I quote, 'All those years wasted when I kept you at arms length instead of admitting my feelings.' I reaaured him that age may not have even played a factor. He was like a frightened little boy, worried he'll lose me and our unborn child. He confessed that this is even worse than when we broke up. Our tears mingled as we held each other like our lives depended on it, and I vowed to do everything in my power to keep myself and our unborn baby alive and well._

 _I'm trying to stay strong for both of us, but I admit I've been having feelings of guilt myself. Did I eat the wrong foods? Should I have started taking a multivitamin sooner? Could the glass of wine I'd drunk the night before we conceived have lingered in my system? Did the formaldehyde in my lab play a part? Have I been stressing too much?_

 _This morning, after some of the shock wore off, we pored over all the information we could find on the subject of polyhydramnios from legitimate sites like Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Cleveland Clinic. It somewhat put my mind at ease that we didn't find any of my fears listed as possible causes, though much of the literature stated the cause was often unknown. The scientist in me wished there were more clinical studies._

 _Sheldon is being extra sweet, making sure I'm comfortable, keeping me hydrated, and he even gave me a foot massage without using timer. He and Howard drove over to Pinkberry to pick up some sugar-free Just Fruit Peach Passion that I'm craving. They should be back any time. I think I hear them pulling up now._

As much as Leah craved to know more, she couldn't risk getting caught. She tucked the journal in her waistband, climbed the ladder, and placed it back in it's hiding spot. She took extra care to line the biology text perfectly next to the adjacent books, leaving no evidence that anything was amiss. Some day she would retrieve the journal again. She began descending the ladder and froze as footsteps neared the library.

"Leah Marie Cooper! You're not supposed to be up there. You could hurt yourself!" Amy hollered from the doorway.

"I needed something new to read."

Amy walked over and carefully lifted her daughter up then set her on the floor. "Next time let me or Daddy know so we can get it for you."

"Sorry."

"Promise me you won't climb up there again until we feel you're old enough."

Leah looked down at her feet. "I promise I won't," she mumbled but silently added, "at least not today."

"Good. Dinner's just about done, and the Hofstadters will be here any minute. I was coming to get you so you can help with place settings."

Leah followed her mom down the hall. "Are you going to send me to the sin closet?"

Amy stopped dead in her tracks then slowly turned to look at her daughter. "Where did you..." The shrill tones of the Spider-Man doorbell echoed through the house. She sighed. "We'll talk about this later."

While Amy greeted their guests, Leah laid out the silverware, lining up the forks perfectly parallel with the butter knives, just the way her dad liked it. In her peripheral vision, she saw him standing just outside the patio door holding a platter of steaks and grilled chicken breasts. She ran over and slid the glass door open.

He set the platter on the island then performed his signature triple knock on the door frame before letting out a contented sigh. "Thanks, Leah." He bent down and wrapped her in a hug.

Penny stepped into the dining room with a basket of buttermilk biscuits. "Aww... You two are so cute!"

"See, my dad's not an emotionless robot." Leah watched Penny's facial expressions change from confusion to shock.

"Leonard, Sweetie. Get in here."

Leonard and the Hofstadter kids entered the dining room. "What is it, Love Bug?"

"Have you been talking smack about Sheldon in front of the kids?"

"What? No, of course not."

He turned to his best friend who had risen to his full height. "Sheldon, Buddy, I would never talk smack about you around anyone, or at all, for that matter."

"You mean not anymore."

"Buddy, you know it was all in good fun."

"Was it, Leonard? Was it?"

Leah's, Cadence's, and Dylan's heads followed their dads' conversation, much like one would follow a tennis match. Leah was fascinated by the exchange. She needed to know more about their friendship. What was it like before she was born? She knew they had been roommates for years before her parents had even met and even before they met Auntie Penny. She doubted her dad kept any personal journals, but there had to be clues in her mom's diaries.

Amy walked up to her husband, noted his distress, and lay her hand on his arm. "What's going on in here?"

"We're just reliving the good old days," Leonard joked.

"It's been a long time since the whole group has gotten together. We should find a time when Howard, Bernadette, and Raj can all meet us. I really miss our get togethers." Amy said wistfully.

"We haven't even all had a girls' night in months," Penny said.

"We should all get manicures!" Cadence shouted.

"I don't want a manicure!" Dylan wailed.

"Not you, Silly Dilly. Just us girls," Cadence amended.

"Although Raj came with us that one time," Penny said thoughtfully.

Leah's eyes widened. "Really, Auntie Penny?"

"Uh huh. Uncle Raj was up for anything. He joined us for girls' night a few times before I married your Uncle Leonard."

Leah looked to her mom for confirmation. "It's true. But enough about that for now. Let's eat before everything gets cold."

The group gathered around the table as they did every month. Sheldon selected a steak then handed the platter to his wife who continued to pass it counterclockwise. As each dish was passed, Penny scooped small portions onto her son's plate. Like any five year old, he complained about most of the items. His eyes kept wandering to the pan of brownies cooling on the counter.

When the guys began to talk shop, their argument temporarily set aside, Cadence propped her chin on her hands, resting her elbows on the table. "What did you do with Uncle Raj on girls' night, besides that time you got manicures?"

Amy swallowed a bite of potato before responding. "One time he taught us how to make jewelry. Even Uncle Howard got involved and brought an acetaline torch to melt metal."

"Wow! I wanna do that!" Leah said.

"Maybe when you're older, Monkey."

"How old were you when you used it, Mommy?"

"I don't remember exactly, but it wasn't until I was in my 30s. You have a long way to go." She paused thoughtfully. "We could always do a jewelry night with beads and glue if you'd like. Bestie, remember when you had that goopy mess on your hands?" She giggled.

Penny shook her head to rid herself of the image. "Ugh! Don't remind me!"

At the kids' puzzled expressions, Amy explained Penny's glue fiasco but left out the part about her bestie ditching preschool to date a second grader. "We should see if Bernadette's free Saturday evening."

"Not Saturday. We're watching Trials and Tribble-ations, remember?" Leah reminded her mom.

"You're right. I had a momentary memory lapse."

Penny wrinkled her nose. "Really Ames? You'd rather watch Star Trek than have a girls' night?"

"We promised Leah we'd watch it on Saturday. Sheldon already penned it in," she pointed to the small dry erase board on the fridge. "Besides, it actually is one of the better episodes."

Penny appeared unconvinced. "Whatever you say. How about Friday?"

"I'll send Bernadette a text when we're done eating," Amy promised. "Maybe the guys can all get together for Chinese food and vintage video game night, then it will really be a blast from the past."

xxx

Amy snuggled up to Sheldon in bed that night. "You must be excited to spend an evening with the guys on Friday. It's been awhile."

"I am, and it has been. What happened to us, Amy?"

"Life happened. Things changed. There are times when I miss our younger days, but I'm happy with the life we have now."

"Me too." He reached for her hand, and they lay in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts for several minutes before he spoke again. "Amy?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm disappointed in Leonard."

"How so?"

He lowered his voice. "That comment Leah made. He had to have made it in her presence."

"What comment?"

He sat up against the headboard, and she followed suit. "Penny noticed me hugging Leah and remarked on how cute we were. Leah looked right at Penny and said, 'See, my dad's not an emotionless robot'. Then Penny called Leonard in to scold him."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I find it odd that Leonard would still say that about you. He knows how much more comfortable you are now with your feelings and physical contact. Penny too."

"Well, she heard it somewhere. You don't think Wolowitz or Koothrapalli said something?" Sheldon asked.

"I guess it's a possibility, but we haven't seen them in weeks. Why would she bring it up now, and why would she zero in on Penny?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out. Maybe we should limit her time at their house."

"Penny's picking her up from school the rest of the week. I can't leave work early. I have that presentation at 4 o'clock tomorrow, the review with the intern on Thursday, and Friday I promised Jun I'd help her sanitize her counters with my special cleaning solution."

He sighed. "I can't leave early either. We'll just have to trust them." He angled his head and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Goodnight."

"Night, Sheldon." They lay down again, assuming their earlier position. "I almost forgot. Leah mentioned the sin closet again. I was going to ask her about it, but then everyone arrived."

"Someone's definitely been feeding her information."

"I'll ask her about it tomorrow," she promised.

"No, don't."

"Why not?"

"It's only a matter of time before the culprit slips up. I'd like the satisfaction of catching that person red handed."

 **A/N: Thank you all again for the love you've shown for this story. I'm enjoying writing in this format of future/past Amy.**

 **On a side note, we have some extremely-talented artists in the Big Bang Theory fandom. One of our artists, RGBCN has started a contest. Seven fanfic writers have each submitted a short story. The readers can vote on their favorites. She will transform the winning story into a comic book.**

 **Unfortunately, links don't print correctly on the fanfiction dot net site, so you can find her master list, the rules, and the voting site on her tumblr page. If you do a Google search for** **Tumblr rgbcn masterlist, it should pop right up.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: My apologies for the delay in this update. Between my other fic and the holidays, time got away from me. Sorry!**

Leah hurried to her room after her mom picked her up from the Hofstadters' on Friday. She wouldn't have much time before the whole gang came over. Her dad and Uncle Leonard were probably on their way with the Chinese food.

She dug her mom's first diary out from under her mattress. Ever since she had returned the monkey journal and had almost been caught, she decided to let some time pass before attempting to climb the bookshelf ladder again. She was confident her parents knew nothing about this one and was thankful for something to read.

 _January 15, 1991_

 _I really wish Stacey hadn't insisted we work on our project at the back of the class. I love my spot up front where I can see the chalkboard. I have to squint to see it now. Mrs. O' Brien noticed and urged me to get my eyes examined. Mother was not pleased when I told her. Insurance will cover corrective lenses, should I need them, but the exam portion will be an out-of-pocket expense._

 _January 18, 1991_

 _Just got home from the optometrist. I'm getting glasses, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, I'll finally be able to see. On the other, when Antonio Martinez came to class with glasses last year, half the class called him four eyes. I thought he looked kind of cute in them, but what do I know._

 _I found an old pair of mother's glasses to try on. I examined myself in the mirror, but everything was so blurry. I popped the lenses out and hid them in my microscope case. The frames are too wide for my face, but I kind of get the idea._

Leah jumped at the sound of the doorbell. She shoved the diary back in its hiding place then raced to the door but didn't open it. It was most likely their friends, but her parents taught her to never open the door because you never knew who was on the other side.

Amy stepped into the foyer and greeted their guests. "Bernadette! It's been too long!" As the two women embraced, Howard and 11-year-old Nathaniel squeezed past.

The youngest Wolowitz grinned at Leah. "Hey squirt!"

She giggled. He was barely taller than she was, even though he was three years older. "Hi Nate!" He removed his shoes then followed her to the kitchen where she prepared Giuseppe's dinner. Together they carried the mix of carrots and lettuce to the aquarium.

"My parents won't let me get a pet. Mom says they're too much work."

"You should get a turtle. Giuseppe's really easy to care for. My parents take turns cleaning his home, and I feed him. My dad likes that he doesn't shed or make noise."

"I asked for a goldfish once but got turned down."

They watched the shelled creature slowly munch his food until the doorbell alerted them to the next guest. Leah secured the lid then ran to the foyer with Nathaniel on her heels.

"Amy! It's so good to see you!"

"Rajesh!"

"And Leah, you've grown so big! Has it really only been two months?"

"Hi Uncle Raj!"

Moments later Cadence rushed up the steps with Penny and Dylan pulling up the rear. The two girls hugged as if they hadn't just seen each other 30 minutes earlier. Once shoes were removed and jackets hung on the coat hooks, all four kids abandoned their moms and Raj and joined Howard in the game room who was unloading a backpack filled with Gameboy cartridges and an original non-color Gameboy system.

"My dad has one of those too," Leah remarked.

"Mine too," Dylan added.

Howard didn't appear surprised. "These were all the rage in 1989. Bulky little buggers, but then all electronics back then were bulky. You should have seen the computers we had. Can you believe we grew up in a world without the internet..."

"Food's here!" Leonard shouted, The kids ran into the kitchen, thankful for an excuse to avoid more talk about the good old days. They took their seats at the kiddie table in the corner just as Leonard began setting down Styrofoam containers of tangerine chicken, white rice, and wontons for sharing.

Sheldon greeted his daughter, touseling her hair, and discreetly pecked his wife on the cheek before taking his seat. Everyone at the big table began opening containers. The adults' fare was more diverse. In addition to tangerine chicken was beef with broccoli, chicken fried rice, General Tso's Chicken, shrimp with lobster sauce, vegetable lo mein, and dumplings.

"Oh dear Lord! I knew we should have checked the containers before leaving," Sheldon griped.

"What's wrong, Buddy?"

"What's wrong is that we only have 13 dumplings. There are 7 of us, ergo we should have 14 dumplings - two each. Either the restaurant shortchanged us, or they're really bad at math."

"Sheldon, it's okay. I'll only eat one dumpling," Amy offered.

"That's not the point..."

"Your dad needs to let things go," Cadence murmured.

Leah, who was accustomed to her dad's quirks, hadn't paid much attention to the scene next to them. She set down her chopsticks and followed her friends' gazes. Her mom was running her hand soothingly along her dad's arm. He appeared calm, but the telltale twitching of his eye belied his agitation. She turned her attention back to her best friend and shrugged. "He'll deal with it in his own way."

After the tables were cleared, the guys retired to the game room. Amy unloaded a shopping bag filled with beads, charms, nylon-coated beading wire, a beading loom, and a book from the previous day's trip to the local craft store on the dining room table while Penny set down a bag of her own.

"What's in the bag, Bestie?"

"Baileys for us grownups and sparkling grape juice for the girls."

"I'll get the glasses!" Bernadette offered.

Penny poured a generous serving for each of them. When they were all seated, she raised her glass. "I'm so thankful we're still friends after all these years. We've welcomed some additions," she smiled at the two eight year olds, "our lives have gotten busier, but we still make time to spend together. To girls night!"

The group clinked glasses. "To girls night!" They cheered.

Leah took a sip of her juice, the bubbles tickling her nose. It was a rare treat to drink anything carbonated in the Cooper household. She watched her mom and Auntie Bernadette each take a dainty sip of the brown liquid from their glasses. It reminded her of a watered-down version of chocolate milk. Her mom took a larger swallow then scrunched up her face. Alcohol didn't seem very appealing. She'd stick with the juice.

While Cadence shuffled through the vials and hanks of various sizes, shapes, and colors of beads, Leah began threading the loom. "I'm going to make a bracelet with my name on it."

"How are you going to do that?" Her best friend asked.

Leah ran to her room, returning with a sheet of paper. "I drew this pattern." She held it up for everyone to see.

"So smart and creative," Bernadette murmured. The little girl beamed.

"I'm not sure where she gets it. Definitely not from me, and Sheldon's never expressed any outward creativity. I picked up a necklace design book for myself. The step-by-step instructions appear to be fairly straight forward."

Bernadette grabbed the book from the brunette's hands. "Ooh! This one's really pretty! Did you get the supplies?"

"I couldn't find that exact shade of pink, but I think these will work just as well," Amy suggested, handing her a hank of glass beads.

"Mommy, where are the purple glitter beads I picked out?"

"They're in here somewhere.

Cadence sifted through the pile again. "Found them!" She handed the vial to her friend then selected a few charms and beads. "I'm making a charm bracelet!"

Penny plucked the book from Bernadette's hands, finding a pattern to her taste.

xxx

When Leonard's Mario met his demise in Donkey Kong, Sheldon unplugged the free-standing arcade terminal.

"What did you do that for? I was about to try again."

"Leonard, may I speak with you outside?"

The shorter man sighed. "Is this about the dumplings?"

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"I can't tell you 'til we're outside," he tilted his head towards the boys who were deep in concentration over the Gameboy systems supplied by Howard and Sheldon.

"Buddy, it's 48 degrees out. Can't we just talk in here?"

"No." He shrugged into his jacket and motioned Leonard to follow. The shorter man sighed again and followed him out where they leaned against the porch railing.

"Sheldon, what's so important that we had to come out here?"

"Leonard, I'm going to ask you a serious question. Please answer truthfully."

"Is everything okay, Buddy?"

"You tell me." He took in a deep breath before continuing. "Leah has been asking Amy and I some peculiar questions recently. We've been trying to figure out where she's getting her information. I'm hoping you can help."

"Sure, Buddy."

"Great. Have you at any time ever mentioned the sin closet in front of the kids?"

"The sin closet?" Leonard furrowed his brow. "Oh, wait. I remember Penny mentioning it a couple of times, but that was years ago."

"You're sure you haven't mentioned it in front of Leah or Cadence?"

"Positive."

Sheldon scrutinized Leonard's face. He wished Amy was there as she was so good at deciphering body language and facial expressions. "I have one more question. Have you or Penny referred to me as an emotionless robot in the kids' presence?"

"No. Can we go in now?" Leonard asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Hang on. We both know the two of you have used those exact words before. How can you be sure our girls haven't heard you speak them?"

"Look, Sheldon, I'm sorry we called you a robot, but it was a long time ago. Ever since you and Amy returned from your first flag convention and she moved in with you, it was like you became a whole other person. You became more affectionate and selfless. I swear we never used those words to describe you after that."

Sheldon considered his words. "I believe you. It has to be Wolowitz or Koothrapalli." The two men returned to the game room where Sheldon interrupted Howard to call him outside.

"Hang on!" Howard drew his arm back and punched his opponent, knocking Raj's Wii boxing mii onto the virtual mat.

"Dude! You cheated!" Raj sulked.

"Did not! I even looked away when Sheldon beckoned. I'm just that good." He removed his imaginary boxing gloves and wiped the real sweat from his brow. After putting up the same arguments as Leonard minutes earlier, the engineer reluctantly followed the lanky physicist outside. Raj was summoned minutes later.

All three men denied discussing the sin closet or the emotionless robot in the children's presence. That left Penny and Bernadette.

xxx

In the kitchen Amy was having difficulty threading a seed bead onto the wire due to the slight buzz from the alcohol.

"Oh, Ames! If your mother could see you now, she'd send you to the sin closet," Penny snickered.

Amy's head snapped up to find Cadence's bewildered look and Leah watching Penny with interest. "Girls, the guys have been suspiciously quiet, can you please check in on them?"

Leah stayed rooted to her seat. "In a minute. I want to hear more about the sin closet."

"Leah, now," Amy commanded in her best 'don't argue with me' voice.

"Okay," she sulked.

Bernadette, noticing the sudden tension in the room, offered to go with them. With the little ones out of earshot, Amy confronted her bestie. "That's where Leah got it."

Penny furrowed her brow. "Got what?"

"Leah's been making some strange comments lately. One of them was mentioning the sin closet. Neither Sheldon nor I have ever mentioned it in front of her. Now I know she got it from you."

"I'm sorry. It just kinda slipped out."

Amy sighed. "It's alright. I just don't know how to explain it to her without making my mom out to be a monster. She's asked us about it a couple of times now. I can't keep putting it off."

Penny stood behind her bestie's chair and gave her an awkward hug. "Sorry, Ames. What else has she said?"

Amy stood to face her friend. "Sheldon mentioned Leah found out about how you and Leonard called him an emotionless robot. I really wish you hadn't done that. No child wants to hear that about their parents."

"I haven't called him that in years. I asked Leonard about it the other day. He denies it too."

"How do you know it didn't just slip out like the sin closet?"

"Because I know how much Sheldon's grown. He's a wonderful husband and father. I see the way his eyes light up when he's around you and Leah. His robotic days are long gone."

Amy studied her friend's body language and expressions for any signs of deceit. Finding none, she enveloped her in a hug. "I'm sorry I accused you."

Penny hugged back just as tightly. "I can see why you did. Leonard and I weren't always as nice to Sheldon as we should have been."

"It doesn't matter now. What does matter is figuring out where she heard it. You don't suppose Bernadette...?" Amy was interrupted by the reappearance of Bernadette and the girls.

"You don't suppose I what?" The microbiologist's friends looked at each other uneasily.

"Ames, maybe it's best to get this out in the open."

"What did I do?" Bernadette squeaked. "We were having such a good time."

"We were. We are." Amy gestured for everyone to have a seat at the table. She lowered her gaze and slid the double helix charm back and forth along its chain, as she did when she was nervous or agitated. Feeling four sets of inquisitive eyes on her, she released the charm and raised her head, looking at each one in turn then settling on her daughter's baby blues.

"Leah, Daddy told me you accused Auntie Penny of calling him an emotionless robot. She denies ever saying that in your presence."

"She hasn't said it."

"Was it Auntie Bernadette?" Amy sent the petite blonde an apologetic look.

"No, Mommy."

"Then who did?" Amy noted the fear and uncertainty in her daughter's eyes. "Leah?"

The little girl folded and unfolded her hands in her lap. "Mommy, your friends didn't tell me Daddy's an emotionless robot."

"Then where did you hear that?"

"I can't tell you."

"Monkey, you know you can tell me anything."

Leah pulled at her collar. "I can't."

"You can and you will," she said firmly but gently. "Whoever it is, they're not in trouble, so you don't have to worry about protecting him or her."

"I can't, Mommy. It's complicated."

"I study the brain; that's complicated. I'm sure I'll understand whatever it is."

"I can't. I'm sorry."

xxx

Sheldon flipped back the corner of the comforter as his wife approached the bed. "Did you have fun tonight?"

She slipped under the covers, snuggling up to him. "It started off well then took a downward spiral, no thanks to me."

"What happened? Did you dazzle everyone with your superior beading skills, causing envy?"

She swatted his arm playfully. "No. If anything our daughter stole the show. I can't for the life of me figure out where her creativity comes from."

"You've referred to my coitus as whimsically inventive, so I'm going to say the Cooper genes are where she gets it." Even in the darkened room, she couldn't miss his wiggling eyebrows.

"Sheldon! Be serious," she giggled.

"Okay. So what happened?"

"Remember how Leah accused Penny of calling you an emotionless robot?"

"Yes. I asked the guys about Leah's odd questions, but they denied everything."

"I talked to the girls too. Penny was the one who mentioned the sin closet, but she and Bernadette both denied calling you an emotionless robot."

"Interesting."

"That's not all. Leah told me our friends didn't give her that information. She got it elsewhere."

"Where did she get it?"

"She wouldn't say."

"Curiouser and curiouser."

"I know. I have an IQ of 185, but I'm totally stumped."

He put on his imaginary thinking cap. "Hmm... What about Stuart?"

"I guess it's possible, but I don't recall him ever using those words. Maybe we should just drop it unless this starts affecting your relationship with Leah."

"Do you think Leah believes I'm some sort of robot?"

"I don't. Sheldon, you're a wonderful dad. Leah adores you." She leaned over and pecked his lips. "And so do I."

Leah pulled her ear away from the wall. It was never her intention to cause problems for her family and friends. She turned over onto her side and closed her eyes, but sleep didn't come easily.

 **A/N: I know many of you preferred Amy's later diary entries. I promise more will be coming. There will be some time jumping between diaries as Leah's curiosity it's piqued when she discovers new bits of information.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you all again for the follows, favorites, and reviews. I appreciate the feedback.**

Amy jiggled the Hofstadters' front door knob. Satisfied it was locked, she headed down the sidewalk to her own driveway three houses down where her husband and daughter waited in the car.

"Amy, how many times do we need to check the locks? I'm sure Leonard and Penny don't check them that often."

"I know. I'm probably being paranoid, but if something were to happen to their place while we're house sitting, I'd never forgive myself." She craned her neck behind her and smiled as she watched her daughter tap a pencil to her chin. Her new crossword puzzle book would keep her entertained the entire drive to Long Beach.

"You remembered the tickets?" Sheldon inquired.

"They're in my purse. Now who's paranoid?" She turned the key in the ignition and began the hour-long drive to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Sheldon watched the scenery whir past the front passenger seat window as his wife kept her eyes on the road. Bored with the scenery, he turned to her. "I kind of feel bad for Raj. Everyone's off doing something for Thanksgiving while he's home alone."

"Why don't you call him up and see if he wants some company later today? I could drop you off when we get back to town," Amy suggested.

"Good idea." Sheldon extracted his phone to place the call. Amy could hear the excitement in Raj's voice and knew she had made the right decision. Family was important over the holidays, and she would be spending the majority of the day with her two favorite family members, but friends were important too.

When they arrived at the aquarium shortly before 11 o'clock, Amy had to practically pry the crossword book from Leah's hands. "But Mommy, I only have three more on this page."

"There'll be plenty of time on the ride back. We want to make sure we're near the front of the line so we all get Pilgrim hats." Leah sighed then set her book and pencil in the backseat pocket as Sheldon shifted impatiently from foot to foot outside the car. He grumbled when they joined the already-growing line. Amy stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear then drew soothing circles on his back with her fingertips.

The line moved quickly, and within minutes they were next. The greeter handed Leah a paper hat. At her dad's insistence, she handed them two more. When their hats were in place, the trio made their selections at the buffet and found a small corner table.

Amy's eyes rolled back into her head. "This turkey is amazing! The last time it tasted like cardboard, but maybe that's because of the circumstances."

"It is much better than I remember it," he agreed. "Have you tried the sweet potato and yam souflé yet?"

Amy took a bite and moaned. "That is so good. I'm glad we decided to come here instead of cooking ourselves."

"When were you here before?"

"In 2015," Amy told her daughter. She turned to her husband. "I can't believe it's been 12 years." Her eyes took on a faraway look.

"Mommy, are you okay?"

Amy shook herself back to the present. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about the last time Daddy and I were here."

Leah scrutinized her mom's face. She certainly didn't seem as happy as she had a minute earlier. "Did something bad happen here?"

Amy shook her head in the negative. "No, it was just... We..." she set her fork down. "It doesn't matter now. What matters is that I'm so thankful we're all here together today." The corners of Sheldon's mouth tilted up, and she rewarded him with a small smile of her own. Leah decided to drop the subject. Today was supposed to be a happy day.

After lunch they wandered through the exhibits with Leah in the middle holding each of her parents' hands. They marveled at the giant octopus, took in a short video about animal extinction, and watched the penguin feeding. When they approached the shark petting pool, Sheldon held his daughter back.

"But Daddy, I want to pet them!"

"Let's find something a little more tame like those starfish over there," he suggested.

"Okay," she agreed sullenly.

While Leah dipped her hand in the shallow pool, Amy asked Sheldon to reconsider allowing their daughter to pet the sharks.

"But Amy, even baby sharks have teeth. Do you really want to risk our only child losing a hand?" He murmured.

"I'm sure she'd be fine, but since you feel so strongly about it, I support your decision."

"Thank you." They watched Leah convince a smaller child to stick his hand in the water as a marine specialist discussed the anatomy of the aquatic creatures.

"Starfish are not actually fish at all. Marine scientists have tried changing the name to sea star, but starfish has stuck with many people. The sea star's arms are called rays because they resemble of the rays of the sun."

A boy about Leah's age raised his hand. "Do you have a question?" The specialist asked.

"Is it true that a starfish, I mean a sea star, can grow its arm back if it loses one?"

Sheldon stepped closer to the pool and addressed the child. "You are correct. They can sometimes even grow a whole new sea star from just one arm." The children, and some adults, migrated towards him as they listened in awe.

"You may also be interested to know that the scientific name of the sea star is asteroidea, which is derived from the Greek word aster, which means star. Asteroideas are part of the echinoderm family. Echinoderm means "spiny skin" in Greek..."

"Excuse me, Sir?" The specialist interrupted. "Thank you, but I'll take over from here."

"It's doctor, not sir, and I wasn't finished," Sheldon sputtered.

Amy reached for her husband's hand. "Come on, Sheldon. Let her do her job. You can dazzle me with facts on the way home," she promised.

He reluctantly stepped aside while the specialist continued her spiel then snapped a couple of pictures of his daughter from a side angle. She turned around and grinned at them, and he snapped a few more of her holding a sea star in the palm of her hand.

"I'm really glad we came. I love that we're making new memories here," Amy remarked.

"Me too."

xxx

After Amy dropped Sheldon off at Raj's, she and Leah checked the Hofstadters' doors again then headed home. The youngest Cooper had her nose buried in her crossword book again during the ride and continued to work on it at the dining room table. With a little prodding, she set it down long enough to eat a small snack and feed her pet. Amy couldn't really blame her. She was a lot like her daughter in that regard at that age. The sound of her ringtone shook her out of her reverie.

"Hello... Yes, this is she... Is everything alright?... Why do you think it's one of mine?... Okay, I'll come down as soon as my husband gets home... Then I'll have to bring my 8-year-old daughter... He's clear across town, and I can't leave her home alone... Can't we make an exception?... Our neighbors are out of town... Fine. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Who was that, Mommy?"

"A security guard from the university. A pigeon flew into the clean room, and he thinks it's one of mine. I have to go now. I hate leaving you here by yourself, but I don't have any other options. He stressed there are to be no unauthorized personnel after hours."

"I'm a big girl. I'll be okay." Leah noted the uncertainty in her mom's eyes and wrapped her tiny arms around her waist. "Don't worry about me."

Amy returned the hug. "I don't feel comfortable leaving you all alone. I should just bring you with me."

"You'll get in trouble. Didn't you ever stay home alone when you were eight?"

"Once when Grandma Joan fired my babysitter and couldn't find a new one in time."

"If you did it, I can do it."

Amy consulted her watch. She needed to make a decision quickly. "Okay, Monkey. I'm leaving you in charge. Remember, don't open the door to anyone, and only answer the phone if you see a number you recognize. Promise?"

"I promise."

"I'll call Daddy on the way over and see if Uncle Raj can drive him home sooner. I shouldn't be long." Amy paused to give her daughter a once over and kissed the top of her head.

As soon as she heard her mom's car back out of the driveway, Leah headed for the library. Providing that her dad didn't return in the next few minutes, she should have ample time to locate and read the diary entry she hoped existed from Thanksgiving 2015. After performing the calculations mentally, she positioned the ladder in the approximate area the diary should be.

She opened a plain black spiral book to the first page - April 9, 2015. The word 'fort' popped out at her. If she knew for certain she'd have enough time, she would read about it, but for now her focus was on seven months later. She flipped to the entry on the last page - September 28, 2015. Wrong diary. She slipped it back, noting its location for future reading.

When she found the desired entry in the next diary, she sat at the window seat and began to read.

 _November 26, 2015_

 _Sheldon and I went out as friends for the first time since the breakup. After the initial awkwardness during the ride to the aquarium, it was almost like old times. When we were in the buffet line, the greeter placed a pilgrim hat on the sleeping baby in front of us. Sheldon requested a hat too but was told they had just given away the last one. He complained throughout the entire meal about how unfair it was that a baby, who wouldn't even know the difference, got a hat and he didn't. My fingers itched to stroke his arm to provide a sense of calm, but I held back._

 _We strolled through the exhibits side by side yet keeping a safe distance between us. He suggested playing a game he made up called 'Food, Friend, Fight'. It's kind of like 'Kiss, Marry, Kill' but with aquatic creatures. It was while we were playing that I realized how much I miss hanging out with him. Sure I enjoy spending time with the girls, but with Sheldon I can just be myself and not worry about trying to fit into a social norm. I miss his quirks and the way he challenges my intellect._

 _After I dropped him off at home, I drove to Mother's. It was strange being there without him. When Mother made a snide comment about my research, I reflexively reached under the table to triple squeeze his hand, our signal to change the subject, but my hand met only air. I had no one there to turn the spotlight off me._

 _On the drive home, I worked up the courage to call him and tell him I was ready to be his girlfriend again. I didn't get the response I expected. He told me he excels at many things, but getting over me wasn't one of them. He just wants to be friends. I barely held it together during the rest of our conversation._

 _After we hung up, I pulled into a convenience store parking lot and cried harder than I've never cried before. I'm not sure how much time passed before a concerned young woman knocked on my window. She could hear my sobs as she walked past and wanted to make sure I was okay. I lifted my head from the steering wheel and forced a smile. She gestured to roll down the window. We talked for a few minutes, and all the heartache I've felt over the past six months came pouring out. She offered to buy me coffee and a bear claw. I declined, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. I took a tiny nibble, but my appetite is nonexistent, and the couple of sips from the paper travel cup tasted bitter on my tongue._

 _I have no one to blame but myself. I threw away the best thing that ever happened to me. How could I have been so stupid? I thought I wanted a traditional relationship like Leonard and Penny or Howard and Bernadette, but now I realize what we had was perfect for us. I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't miss the hand holding or our date night kisses, but it wasn't just about the romance. It was all the little things, like the way he looked at me when I was the only other person in the room who understood one of his jokes, how we confided in each other over the things others would laugh at us for, our crazy boyfriend/girlfriend singalong nights, and just sitting side by side in companionable silence. I know Sheldon's not perfect, but he's perfect for me._

 _It's going to be extremely difficult being around him trying to function as just friends. I still love him, and I probably always will. I'll be devastated if he finds someone else._

Leah slowly set the diary down on her lap. There was more text, but the ink was blurred in spots, making it difficult to make out some of the words. Her parents had never mentioned a breakup. She had just assumed they had been together the whole time. She needed to get her hands on that black spiral-bound diary again to find the cause.

The sound of a car turning into the driveway made her jump. She climbed the ladder and replaced the diary and the biology text book it hid behind, making sure it was perfectly flush with the adjacent books. She raced to the table, picked up her pencil, and immersed herself back in her activity book just as the front door opened. "Hi Daddy, Uncle Raj."

Sheldon scrutinized the room. Everything appeared to be in place, and his daughter looked perfectly fine. He breathed a sigh of relief then hunched down and hugged her tightly.

She set her pencil down and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You look just as worried as Mommy did. I'm fine, Daddy."

"Thank you, Jesus!" He shouted then added, "As your Meemaw Mary would say."

Raj wiped a tear from his eye. "What a beautiful moment!"

"Raj, be a lamb and bring me my Gameboy and Nintendo DS so we can keep an eye in Leah at the table."

"Daddy, it's okay. You two can play in the game room. I'm fine here with my book."

"Why don't we all head to the game room? A crossword book is a game of sorts," Sheldon compromised.

xxx

When Amy returned home two hours later, Raj bid them farewell. The moment his car backed out of the driveway, Leah began getting ready for bed. They tucked her in and listened to her read from her newest comic book then kissed her goodnight before heading for their own bedroom.

As soon as the door was shut, Sheldon confronted his wife, his arms crossed over his chest. "Amy, what were you thinking leaving Leah here all alone? Why didn't you take her with you?"

"As I told you over the phone, I wanted to, but security wouldn't allow it."

He raised his voice. "You should have just done it anyway. I don't think you realize the terror I felt when you called. She's only eight years old. Granted she's mature for her age, but still."

"I was worried too."

"Apparently not enough to..."

A tentative knock sounded at the door. Amy opened it to reveal a wide-eyed Leah. "Don't fight! It's Thanksgiving, the day to be thankful. Nothing happened to me while I was alone."

"But what if something had?" Sheldon fretted.

Amy patted the side of the bed, and they all had a seat, Leah between them. "Sheldon, I'm sorry I worried you. I didn't feel comfortable leaving our sweet baby girl alone either..."

"It's my fault," Leah interrupted. "Mommy wanted me to go with her, but I convinced her to leave me here. Don't hate each other! I don't want you to break up!" She sobbed.

They shared a look over her head. "Monkey, we don't hate each other. We just had a little arguement."

Sheldon nodded his head in agreement. "Mommy and I might not always agree with each other, but we could never hate each other."

Leah squirmed out from between her parents, settling behind them. She pulled her mom's left hand towards the space between them then pulled her dad's right hand to her mom's and joined them together. They looked down at their entwined fingers, back at their daughter, then into each other's eyes.

"You're welcome." And with that, she bounced off the bed and exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

Sheldon stared at the door. "What was that all about?"

"Beats me," Amy shrugged. "Sheldon, I'm sorry again about what happened tonight."

"And I'm sorry I overreacted. Leah's fine, and that's all that matters." He looked down at their joined hands and gave her fingers a squeeze. "I love you, Amy."

"I love you, too."

From outside the bedroom door, Leah expelled a contented sigh. Crisis averted.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews for the last chapter. I'm really enjoying writing this combination of past and future.**

Amy balanced a basket of homemade dinner rolls in one hand and knocked on her mother's door with the other as Sheldon and Leah waited behind her patiently.

Mrs. Fowler opened the door wearing the same floral print apron Amy remembered from her childhood. "Come in, come in! You're right on time." She stepped aside as the trio squeezed past her.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hello, Joan."

Leah flung herself at the older woman. "Grandma!"

Joan awkwardly reached down and patted her granddaughter on the back. "My you've grown! I guess I'm noticing because it's been so long since you've come over, not since August, if I remember correctly. It's not like I live all the way in Texas," she said pointedly to her daughter and son-in-law.

Amy decided to ignore her mother's jab. "Sorry, Mom. We've been busy." She set the basket on the table and examined the spread. "This all looks so good. You've really outdone yourself. You even used the good china."

"I wanted everything to be perfect for my family. Please sit."

Everyone settled around the little round table, with Amy seated between her husband and daughter and across from her mother. At Joan's insistence, Sheldon carved the turkey while Amy began helping herself and Leah to salad and potatoes.

"Eat up or I'll be eating turkey for a month. I bought the smallest one I could find, and it's still much too big."

Leah selected a large chunk of white meat turkey while Amy held the platter.

"Monkey, that's a pretty big piece. Are you sure you can eat all that?" Amy asked, surveying her plate.

"I don't want Grandma to eat nothing but turkey all month. That would be boring."

"You didn't think eating pizza every day would be boring."

"Mommy, that was months ago. I'm not seven anymore."

"You fed your daughter pizza every day? Growing children need a variety of healthy foods. I thought I raised you better than that." Amy internally seethed but said nothing.

"Actually, we didn't take Leah up on her suggestion. Pizza is reserved for Thursdays." Sheldon remarked.

"I had pizza at my sleepover. That was a Saturday." Leah reminded him.

"Okay, Thursdays and special occasions," he amended.

When everyone's plate was loaded, Mrs. Fowler turned to her granddaughter. "How was the aquarium?"

"I got to hold a sea star! I wanted to pet the sharks, but Daddy was too scared."

"That's probably wise. You wouldn't want to lose a hand."

"She would have been fine, Mom."

"I'm with Sheldon on this one. After all you went through with your pregnancy, I'm surprised you wouldn't want to be more protective."

Amy bit back a response, mentally counting to ten. Her relationship with her mother had improved significantly over the years, but old patterns died hard. She triple squeezed her husband's hand under the table.

"So, Joan, how was Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Florence's yesterday?"

Amy breathed a silent sigh of relief. She could always count on Sheldon to steer the conversation away when she gave him the signal. She felt bad for him when her mom droned on and on about the dry turkey her incompetent sister roasted and could almost see the wheels in his head turning, probably solving intricate equations to avoid the incessant chatter, though he would nod politely at random intervals.

After dinner and pumpkin pie, Mrs. Fowler led them to the living room. Leah's eyes followed Amy's to the living room closet. She noted her mom's almost imperceptible shudder before she took a seat on the couch, her back to the closet.

Sheldon sat next to Amy in his spot, and Joan settled into one of the two adjacent rocking chairs. Leah chose to sit in the other rocker rather than her usual spot on the couch. The angle allowed her a peripheral view of the closet doors, which she studied intently as she rocked slowly. Was this the infamous sin closet?

When the adults were deep in conversation, Leah halted the rocking motion and quietly stood. If anyone noticed, they didn't show any indication. She cautiously crept in her stocking feet towards the slatted pine double doors. She tried peeking through the slats and the keyhole but saw nothing. Glancing towards the couch, she noted her parents' backs were still facing the closet, and Grandma Joan didn't appear to be paying attention, so she carefully pulled one of the knobs.

Leah's eyes wandered over the contents. It certainly didn't look intimidating - just some old coats and a large unmarked plastic storage container. The shelf above held another smaller storage container labeled 'tools'. She cautiously stepped over the threshold. While the space wasn't cramped, it also didn't appear very spacious. Using her feet and arms, she measured the square footage.

Amy noted the empty rocking chair. "Where's Leah?" She stood and scanned the room, the color draining from her face when her eyes connected with her daughter's, as her head poked out from inside the sin closet. "Leah Marie Cooper, get back over here! You shouldn't be snooping in Grandma's house."

"I was curious."

"It's okay. There's nothing special in there, just some old coats," Joan reassured the little girl. "I apologize for the musty smell. That closet hasn't been used much since your mom moved out."

When Amy swayed, Sheldon jumped up and held onto her waist to steady her. She grabbed onto his arm as if her life depended on it. Leah watched the scene unfold then took another cursory glance in the closet before closing the door.

"Are you okay?" He whispered. "We can go if you want. I'll make up an excuse."

She nodded slightly. "I think that would be best."

Sheldon caught his mother-in-law's attention. "Thank you, Joan, for the delicious meal. We'd better get going."

Joan frowned. "Already? You haven't even been here two hours."

"We're house sitting for our friends who are visiting her family in Nebraska and need to double check the locks."

"I'm sure another hour wouldn't make a difference."

"Actually it might. Did you know that a burglary takes place every 18 seconds in the US?" Sheldon asked. Amy rewarded him with a tiny smile.

Joan pushed herself up out of her chair and followed the trio to the back door. Leah shrugged into her jacket then wrapped her arms around her grandma. Amy bid her mother a curt goodbye and ushered her daughter out the door. Sheldon accepted the Tupperware container filled with turkey Joan offered before joining his family at the car.

"Don't be strangers. I'd love for you to stop by more often," Joan called after them.

Amy sat ramrod straight in the driver's seat, squeezing the steering wheel until her knuckles were white as they barreled down CA-134 E.

Sheldon peered at the speedometer. "Amy, slow down! We're going 17 miles over the speed limit." He gripped the door handle, his knuckles just as white as his wife's, until her foot eased up on the gas pedal.

"Sorry. I'm just..." She checked on her daughter on the rearview mirror. Leah peered back at her, watching them both intently. "Sorry."

"Mommy?"

Sheldon twisted his neck around to face his daughter. "Leah, Mommy needs to concentrate on driving right now. It might be best if you work on your crossword book."

Leah opened her mouth to argue but quickly shut it when the car sped up again, and her dad turned his attention back to the speedometer.

xxx

After tucking Leah into bed, Amy took care of her nighttime ablutions then huddled under the blanket in the fetal position facing the wall on her side of the bed. Sheldon changed into his Friday pajamas before joining her.

"Amy, it's only 8:30. You're not sick, are you?"

"How does it still have that effect on me? It's been 27 years since I've seen the inside of that closet. When I saw Leah in there, it was déjà vu, like looking at a ghost of my former self. All my old memories came flooding back."

"What can I do to make you feel better?"

"Just hold me."

Sheldon spooned her from behind, pulling her tightly to him. "You're shaking." He ran his hand along her arm soothingly for several minutes, but the shaking didn't subside.

She twisted around to face him. "Do you know what makes it even worse? I don't think my mother even noticed how rattled I was, and she had the audacity to question my parenting skills? I know I'm not perfect, but I'm trying my hardest to give Leah the best childhood possible."

Sheldon used his thumb to wipe away the single tear that slithered down her cheek. "You're a very good mother, much better than your mother was to you. There's no comparison."

"Thanks, Sheldon. I don't know what I'd do without you," she sniffled.

They lay wrapped in each other's arms silently for several minutes, her head resting on his chest. "Sheldon? Leah never expressed an interest in that closet before. When was the first time she mentioned the sin closet to you?"

"October 27. She and I had just returned from an evening at the comic book store with Leonard, Cadence, and Dylan."

"So two months after we last visited my mom. We know she heard the words from Penny, but how did she know exactly which closet it was or that it was even a physical space and not just a metaphor for something?"

"Maybe it was just a lucky guess, or maybe Penny said something to indicate its location."

"I did tell her and Bernadette it faced the TV." She sighed. "I probably shouldn't tell them as much as I do, but it's just so nice having friends to share my secrets with."

"You have me."

"I do have you, and every day I'm thankful that you came into my life." She pressed her lips gently to his.

He returned the kiss then touched his forehead to hers before pulling back slightly. "You probably don't want to hear this now, but I think we need to tell Leah about the sin closet."

Her eyes widened. "I'm not ready. I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

"We can't keep it from her forever. If she doesn't hear it from us, she'll come to her own conclusions. Children's minds conjure up all sorts of irrational fears."

"I know. I just need some time to calm down and think about the best way to present it."

"Do you need anything? Water perhaps?"

"No, but thank you. I just want to get some sleep."

"I'm not tired yet, but I don't want to leave you alone."

"I'll be okay. Go ahead and get up."

"I'll be in the library reading. I shouldn't be too long." He kissed her forehead then disentangled his limbs from hers.

Leah waited until she heard her dad's footsteps pass her room then dug her mom's first diary out from under her mattress. She found her place and began reading the next entry, hoping to find some information about the closet.

 _January 28, 1991_

 _Today was my first day back at school since my new look. The first thing Stacey did when I took my seat next to her was tell me that now my face matches my personality. She rounded up some of the other kids into chanting 'nerd' and 'four eyes' over and over until Mrs. O'Brien finally shushed them._

 _Recess was worse than usual. I've been begging the teachers to allow me to use the time to read in the library, but they always refuse. I just end up spending the time reading by the jacaranda tree anyway, so I don't understand their rationale. Some of my classmates used their new dodgeball skills to hit me in the face. I had to raise my book as a shield. If Mother thought I'd bend my glasses just by twirling them, I can only imagine what she'd think if they were smashed by a ball. Stacey sauntered up to me with her posse. Janelle ripped the book from my hands and threw it in a puddle while Amber tried to pull the glasses off my face. They raced off when the bell rang. I picked up my soaked book and wrung it out as best as I could. I have to figure out a way to pay the library back. I can't tell Mother about this. She'll be furious._

Leah skimmed through the next couple of entries. No mention of the sin closet. Not ready to give up, her eyes roamed over the following day's record. The words 'sin closet' nearly jumped off the page. She snuggled under her comforter and started from the beginning.

 _February 1, 1991_

 _Today was one of the worst days of my life. I actually thought things were going my way for once. A pipe burst in the gym, so we got library time instead. Stacey and I handed in our science fair project. I'm relived to go back to my seat and away from her bullying on Monday. Mother worked late again to pay for my eye exam. To say I was excited for some companionship from Jillian is an understatement. She brought her..._

A blood-curdling scream shattered the near silence. Leah tossed the diary on her bed and raced out her bedroom door, almost colliding with her dad.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the super sweet reviews on chapter 11. They made my day.**

Sheldon burst into the master bedroom with Leah on his heels. Amy was thrashing around on the bed, tears streaming down her face. "Don't put me in there! I've been good!" She wailed, clawing at the air with her eyes screwed shut.

"What's wrong with Mommy?" Leah asked in a trembling voice, her eyes wide.

Sheldon used his body to shield Amy from his daughter's view. "Leah, go to your room."

"I want to help Mommy!" She cried.

"I've got this. Go to your room!" He commanded firmly but without menace.

Leah stood rooted to her spot in the doorway. She watched helplessly as her dad climbed into bed with her mom, chastising himself for leaving her alone. He lay next to her, swung his leg over hers, then gently grasped her wrists in one hand while the other stroked her hair. "Amy, it's okay. No one's punishing you. It's just a bad dream." He whispered.

"Nooooooo! I don't want to go back there!" She struggled against the constraints of her husband's body, her arms nearly breaking free, but he held steady.

Leah stood in the doorway uncertainly a minute longer then took action. She picked up her mom's phone from the night stand and dialed with shaky hands.

"911, please state your emergency."

"Something's very wrong with my mom. She's crying and flopping around like a fish," she shrieked over the screams.

"Please remain calm. Can you tell me exactly what's happening?"

"My mom is kicking and screaming, so my dad pinned her down. I'm so scared!"

"Are you or your mom in any danger?"

"I'm not, but my mom might be."

"Has your dad ever hit you or your mom?"

"Never," the little girl answered in confusion. She looked at the scene on the bed. She had never witnessed her mom struggling against anyone before, but she knew her dad was doing it to protect her not hurt her.

"Mother, please don't!" Amy sobbed.

"Your mother's not here. It's me, Sheldon. You're safe," he murmured.

"We'll send someone over immediately. Just focus on your breathing. Can you do that for me?" The dispatcher asked.

"I'll try," the little girl sniffled.

"Good. I'll need to state your full name and confirm your address." Leah recited her address and spelled her name slowly. "Perfect. Just hang in there. Help is on the way."

Leah disconnected the call and settled onto the bed next to her dad. Her mom's screams had quieted down, and her limbs lost their resistance. Her breathing had slowed, and her face was relaxed. Sheldon released her wrists but continued to stroke her hair and talk to her soothingly.

"What was wrong with her?"

Sheldon weighed his options. "Your mom had a nightmare, but she appears to be sleeping peacefully now."

"How did you stay so calm?"

He let out a shaky breath. "I wasn't, but I had to try for your mom."

"Were you as scared as I was?"

"It's always scary."

"It happened before?"

He nodded in affirmation. "A couple of times before you were born."

Leah wrapped her arms around him. She wanted to reach out and stroke her mom's arm, but she was afraid of spooking her. Sheldon used his free arm to pull her in closer. "Everything's okay now. It's getting late. You need to get back to bed."

Leah took one last look at her mom's sleeping form then carefully slid off the bed. Seconds later sirens blared in the distance, becoming increasingly louder.

"Uh oh," Leah mumbled.

Blue and red lights flashed across the night sky followed the screech of tires. Two car doors slammed followed by an insistent knock at the front door then the ringing of the Spider Man-themed doorbell.

Sheldon huffed. He pulled on his robe over his pajamas and marched to the foyer. "Coming!" He called as the ringing continued.

He swung the door open to reveal two police officers. "May I help you?"

The two men flashed their badges. "We received a call regarding a domestic situation."

"You have the wrong house. Goodnight." Sheldon attempted to close the door, but a large hand held it open.

"The caller verified this address."

"And whom, may I ask, placed the call? I bet it was those Jamison kids from across the street playing pranks again," he muttered.

"Daddy!" Leah called from behind him.

"Leah, please go to bed. I'll be there soon to tuck you in." He made a shooing motion with his hands.

"Leah Cooper?" The larger man asked.

Leah poked her head around her dad's waist. "That's me."

"We need to speak with you. May we come in?"

"What?! Why do you need to speak with my eight-year-old daughter?" Sheldon stepped to the side, hiding her from their view.

Leah tugged on her dad's sleeve. "Daddy, I did something terrible."

Sheldon looked from his daughter to the officers and back again. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

Leah looked up into her dad's eyes. "I was worried about Mommy, so I called 911. I didn't know what was wrong. I'm sorry."

Amy padded into the foyer. "What's going on out here? Oh, hello officers. What can we do for you?" She yawned.

"Good evening, Ma'am. We received a call from your daughter regarding a domestic situation."

Any remaining sleepiness left Amy's system. "I'm sorry. What?"

"Ma'am, we need to speak with you in private."

"Mommy, it's all my fault. You were rolling around on the bed screaming. I was scared, so I called 911."

"This is all a big misunderstanding. My wife was having a nightmare. I was trying to calm her down," Sheldon told the officers.

"I'm sorry, but per protocol we're required to speak with the alleged victim."

"Wait, you think my husband abused me?" Amy asked incredulously. "Sheldon's the least violent person I know." She wrapped her arm around his waist, and he kissed the top of her head.

"Ma'am, the sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can all get on with our nights."

"Fine. Follow me, officers," Amy instructed. She led them to the dining room table and offered coffee, which they politely declined.

Leah didn't object when her dad ushered her to her room. She noticed the red diary sitting out in the open and kicked it off the foot of her bed.

"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble tonight, Daddy. I was just trying to help. I didn't mean it." she rambled, hoping her voice drowned out the sound of the book hitting the floor.

"I know. It will all be okay. Now get some sleep. Goodnight." He tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

"Night."

Leah listened to the muffled voices in the hall. The front door shut followed by her parents' bedroom door moments later. Their voices were too low to distinguish anything meaningful, so she retrieved the diary and restarted the entry she had been reading before the commotion.

 _February 1, 1991_

 _Today was one of the worst days of my life. I actually thought things were going my way for once. A pipe burst in the gym, so we got library time instead. Stacey and I handed in our science fair project. I'm relived to go back to my seat and away from her bullying on Monday. Mother worked late again to pay for my eye exam. To say I was excited for some companionship from Jillian is an understatement._

 _She brought her tape recorder and dumped a purse-full of tapes on the table. I selected Madonna's True Blue. I absolutely love Papa Don't Preach, Open Your Heart, and La Isla Bonita. We played them over and over until I had the lyrics down. I was so into the groove (haha, yes that Madonna reference is intentional) that I didn't realize the time._

 _Mother walked in and caught us belting out Papa Don't Preach. She screamed at Jillian for bringing such filth into her home and fired her on the spot. She literally threw the recorder and cassettes onto the lawn. I watched helplessly through the window as Jillian crawled through the grass and gathered everything into her purse._

 _Mother demanded I get away from the window and into the sin closet. I tried reasoning with her, but I should have known better. She thought I was bluffing when I told her I needed to use the bathroom. I hoped I could hold it._

 _I know from past experience that crying only makes it worse, so I kept my tears in check until she locked the door behind me. I sat in there for two hours, the longest I have ever been locked up. The first hour I endured listening to her scream at me. She said some pretty hurtful things. The worst was when she told me she should have given me up for adoption. Then she ranted about the inappropriate lyrics these days. I don't understand the problem. I replayed the lyrics over again in my head. The woman in the story wants to keep her baby. It sounds like she's pleading with her father. Is he reluctant to be a grandpa? Even if he is, how is this filth? Maybe I'm not quite understanding. What kind of trouble is she in?_

 _When Mother's voice was hoarse, she left the room. I could hear her clanging pots and pans much louder than necessary. My stomach growled as I smelled the canned minestrone soup wafting through the slats. I hadn't eaten anything since the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had for lunch._

 _To help pass the time and to take my mind off my hunger and full bladder, I pulled a faux fur coat off its hanger and pretended I was a woolly mammoth. I have no idea where that coat came from. I can't picture Mother ever wearing something like this. I really immersed myself into the role. I imagined I was wandering the arctic tundra with my herd. I had two loving parents, siblings, and all my extended family. The coat was heavy and made me sweat, but it was also comforting. I felt safe cocooned in its warmth._

 _Mother eventually turned on the TV to a documentary on the African jungle. I watched as best as I could through the slats. If she knew I could see out, she'd probably replace the doors with something solid._

 _At 8 o'clock she finally released me from my prison cell. She scolded me for wearing the fur and proceded to yell at me again over my inappropriate behavior. I made a beeline for the bathroom as soon as I was able, then I warmed up the soup she saved me. The moment I placed my bowl in the sink, she ordered me to bed. She made sure my light was off but didn't tuck me in like she did every night, even the other times I've been sent to the sin closet._

 _I feel so alone. Mother thinks I'm a burden, none of my classmates understand me, and even Jillian is gone now. I wonder how different life would be if I knew my father. Every time I ask Mother about him, she side steps my questions or locks me up. I guess I'm just meant to be alone._

Leah set the diary in her lap. She couldn't believe her grandma treated her mom that way. No wonder she reacted the way she did when she saw the inside of the closet. Was this why they rarely made the short trip to Glendale? Grandma Joan didn't give out hugs freely like Meemaw Mary, but she had always been nothing but nice to her and her parents. It was difficult for her to grasp the concept, but she knew her mom wouldn't make up stories like that.

Leah felt sorry for the lonely little girl her mom had been. She was certain the sin closet was the source of her nightmare. If she could turn back time, she would never have opened it. Now it was time to make it up to her. She stood and buried the diary under her mattress then tiptoed into the hall. Her parents' room was quiet except for her dad's soft snores. She reached for the doorknob and turned.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you all again for your follows, favorites, and reviews. I love hearing your input.** **I apologize for the delay in updating but hope you enjoy.**

Leah used the soft moon glow filtering in through the blinds to guide her to her mom's side of the bed. Her back was turned to her, the comforter slipped down to her waist, revealing her arm draped over her dad's side. Leah gingerly lifted the comforter and pulled it up to her mom's chin. She froze when Amy stirred then relaxed when she was certain she was still asleep.

She stood next to the bed watching her parents sleep for a few minutes. The scene was so much calmer than it had been earlier that evening. She pushed down on the mattress and waited. The occupants didn't move, so she climbed up. The bed creaked from her weight. She held her breath then let it out slowly as she eased herself behind her mom. She silently berated herself for tucking her in before she was settled. She would have to sleep without a blanket.

xxx

Amy awoke to a darkened room. She lifted her head and glanced at the alarm clock on Sheldon's nightstand, but the display was blurred without her glasses. With the long November nights, it could be anywhere from midnight to 6 a.m.

She settled back against her pillow and recalled the events of the previous night, or at least the parts she remembered. Sheldon had filled her in on the details leading up to the police showing up. Though she couldn't recall the screaming and kicking, she didn't question the truth. Sheldon rarely lied, and when he did it was so obvious that he confessed as soon as he was called out on it.

It had been nearly 9 years since her last night terror, not since she'd been pregnant. She hadn't remembered that time either, but the sweat-soaked sheets were indicative of the event.

She looked over at her husband, barely able to make out his sleeping form in the near darkness. She placed her hand on his chest and felt it slowly rise and fall and sighed in contentment. Though they had shared a bed for 11 years, she never grew tired of these moments.

She slowed her breathing to match his and was closing her eyes when she felt something pressing up against her back. She ran her hand along the length of his arm. He was definitely in front of her. Was she having a vivid dream? She mentally shrugged then allowed her eyelids to fall shut when she felt a small kick to her lumbar spine. This was no dream.

"Sheldon," she whispered, then a little louder, "Sheldon!"

"Mmm..." He shifted slightly but made no other move.

She hated to disturb him, but panic was setting in. She shook his arm, gently at first, then more forcibly. "Sheldon!" She stage whispered.

"What? Who?" He twisted towards her, eyes wild.

"Sheldon, I felt something kick me from behind."

"Probably a dream," he slurred.

"That's what I thought at first."

He slowly lifted his head from his pillow and peeked over his wife's shoulder. "It's Leah," he whispered before laying his head back down and closing his eyes again.

Amy peered over her shoulder. "Poor thing! She was probably terrified after seeing me last night." She carefully flipped over to face her sleeping daughter and smoothed back her bangs.

"We need to tell her, Amy."

"I know."

The little girl mumbled incoherently. She rubbed her eyes with her fists and blinked to find two pairs of eyes staring back at her.

"Morning, Monkey. Did you have a bad dream?" Amy asked.

Leah shook her head no. "I was worried about you, Mommy. I came here to tuck you in and keep you safe."

"Oh, Monkey!" Amy's voice cracked. She pulled her daughter into a seated position and wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm sorry you were worried about me. Parents should be worried about their kids, not the other way around."

Sheldon sat up against his pillow. "Is there anything you want to ask us about last night?"

Leah nodded. "Are you mad at me for calling 911?"

"Of course not! You thought Mommy was in danger and acted accordingly. I'm very proud of you."

"Me too," Amy chimed in.

"But the police thought Daddy was abusing you."

"They were just doing their job. I cleared up any doubts they had."

"How?"

Amy looked from her daughter to her husband and back again. "I told them I had a nightmare and that Daddy was just trying to protect me from hurting myself. I rolled up my sleeves and lifted up my nightgown to prove there were no bruises."

Leah's eyes widened in shock. "Mommy! You undressed in front of the police?!"

"Of course not, silly girl!" Amy touseled her daughter's hair. "I only lifted the hem a little past my knees." She bit back a laugh when both Leah's and Sheldon's faces flooded with relief. "Do you have any other questions for us?" She watched as a range of emotions flickered over Leah's face - hesitancy, uncertainty, and fear. "Monkey, whatever it is, you can ask us."

Leah bit her lip. "Am I the reason for your nightmare, Mommy?"

"Why would you think that?"

"You were acting all weird after I opened that closet at Grandma's yesterday."

Sheldon and Amy shared a look over their daughter's head. He entwined his fingers with hers and gave them an encouraging squeeze.

"I was," she paused to collect herself, "upset when I saw the inside of the closet, but it's not your fault. You had no way of knowing something so seemingly innocent could trigger those feelings."

Leah hung her head and stared at her lap. "I'm sorry. When we walked into the living room, I saw you look at it funny. I wanted to see what was so special about it."

Amy pulled her closer. "There's nothing special about it physically."

"I wouldn't use the word 'special' to describe it," Sheldon spat out.

Amy shot him a silencing look then turned her attention back to her daughter. "Grandma Joan called it the 'sin closet'. It's where she sent me when I misbehaved."

"Or when she didn't know how to handle a situation," Sheldon muttered.

"That too," Amy agreed. "You know Grandma Joan raised me all by herself." When Leah nodded, she continued. "She didn't know how else to punish me. Do you have any questions about the closet?"

"What was the worst thing about being in there?"

"There wasn't any one thing. It was a combination of boredom and loneliness mostly."

"What was the worst thing you ever did, and how long were you locked up for it?"

Amy swallowed. "Four hours was the longest. I... I'd rather not answer the first part right now, not because what I did was terrible... Grandma and I didn't have the same ideas of what... I'd just rather wait until you're a little older." She looked to Sheldon for encouragement. He squeezed her hand.

"I'm grown up. You can tell me."

"I'm sorry, Monkey, but I'd really rather we wait until you've decided..."

"Decided what?"

"Please, just trust me when I say I'd rather wait."

"Okay," The little girl agreed begrudgingly. "How old were you when that happened?"

Amy shuddered involuntarily. Sheldon wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Leah, that's enough. Mommy needs her rest," he scolded.

"No, it's okay. I was 17."

Leah examined her mom's face. "You got in trouble when you were 17?! I thought only little kids got punished."

"Leah..." Sheldon warned.

Leah decided to drop the subject. "Daddy, were you ever sent to the sin closet?"

"We didn't have one. Aunty Missy, Uncle Junior, and I were sent to our rooms when Meemaw Mary punished us."

"What was the worst thing you ever did?"

"I never did anything to warrant being punished, but your Meemaw didn't agree." Amy turned her head away and rolled her eyes at his statement.

"What did Meemaw think was the worst thing you did?"

"Hmm... Well she thought many of my experiments were frightening, but I would have to say, based on length of punishments, the time I tried using her credit card to buy uranium for the nuclear reactor I was building in the tool shed was the worst."

"Don't even consider trying that, young lady," Amy warned.

"Do we have a sin closet here that I don't know about?" Leah asked, as her eyes drifted to the master bedroom closet.

"Absolutely not! We would never lock you in a closet." Amy verified.

"Just checking."

Sheldon's eyes wandered over to the alarm clock. "It's almost time for Dr. Who!"

He took a quick shower before the trio headed for the kitchen to fill their cereal bowls. Leah yanked the box from Amy's hands. "Let me do it for you, Mommy!" She poured a heap of the crunchy contents into the bright yellow bowl and topped it with a splash of milk, nearly dropping the jug in the process. Sheldon caught it as it slipped from her fingers.

"Thank you, Monkey." Amy spooned a few bitefuls into her mouth then slowly lifted the bowl off the counter, careful not to spill as she ambled over to the living room. Sheldon readied his and Leah's bowls, measuring the liquid and solids to get the optimal milk to cereal ratio. He carried their bowls and set them on the coffeetable before popping in a Blu-Ray disc then settled into his spot on the couch.

Leah squeezed in between the couch arm and Amy, who moved over to the left to make room.

"You're not sitting in the middle today?" Sheldon asked, sounding hurt.

"I don't want Mommy to feel unsafe or lonely, so she gets to be in the middle today."

"You don't have to worry about me, Monkey. I'm all better now," Amy reassured her.

Sheldon periodically checked his watch, and Leah leaned over Amy to check it too every time he did. Even though Dr. Who was removed from the Saturday morning lineup years earlier, he continued watching it at the same time out of habit and to keep some semblance to the schedule he'd maintained for so many years.

At precisely 6:30, he tapped the 'Play' button on the remote. Leah slurped her somewhat soggy cereal then snuggled into Amy's side, resting her head on her arm.

Sheldon was mesmerized by the episode, one of the few he enjoyed featuring the 16th doctor. He never skipped an episode, always watching them in order, though he would rant about the ones he disliked for hours afterwards. Amy began watching when she had moved in with Sheldon 11 years earlier. At first she had just enjoyed spending time with him, but after a few months she found herself captivated with the storyline.

They continued the tradition even when Leah was a baby. They set her in a basinet next to the couch, then a playpen until she was big enough to sit comfortably on the couch.

Forty-five minutes later, Sheldon loaded the empty bowls in the dishwasher while Amy proceeded to the shower with Leah on her heels.

"Leah, why don't you help Daddy in the kitchen?"

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"I'll be fine. I'm just going in the shower." Amy gently closed the bathroom door behind her.

Leah sat on the floor next to the door until her mom emerged 20 minutes later wrapped in a fluffy blue robe with an even fluffier towel around her head.

Amy looked down at her daughter in surprise. "I hope you weren't waiting out here the whole time."

Leah stood and wrapped her arms around the fluffy fabric. "Yep! I missed you!"

Amy reached down and returned the hug. "Monkey, I know you must have been afraid of what you saw last night, but I swear I'm fine now. I need to get dressed then check on the Hofstadter house." She disentangled herself then went to the closet and chose a skirt and sweater combo.

Leah made herself comfortable on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs.

"Leah, I need some privacy. Please go check on Daddy."

"Fine," Leah sulked when she was given the 'I mean business' look. She slid off the bed and trudged out the bedroom door.

When Amy entered the hall a few minutes later, she nearly tripped over a tiny pair of legs. "Where's Daddy?"

"Playing computer games," Leah responded from her seated position on the floor.

"Sheldon!"

Sheldon poked his head out of the game room holding his laptop, a headset dangling from his neck. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, but Leah has been trailing me like a lost puppy. Can you make sure she stays here while I check on Leonard and Penny's place?" Amy crouched down to her daughter's eye level. "When I get back, I expect you to be dressed."

"I want to come!"

"And I want you to get dressed."

"Leah, check out this new level 10 creature," Sheldon beckoned.

Leah stood rooted to her spot, part of her wanting to go with her mom while the other was curious to see the progress her dad had made. His pleading eyes and her curiosity finally won out.

The moment her daughter disappeared from view, Amy breathed a sigh of relief. She grabbed her purse and made the half-block trek. Once inside she did her daily walkthrough. Instead of leaving right away as she normally did, she sat at the dining room table, checking the emails on her phone and just enjoying the solitude. She felt bad about taking this time out for herself, but Leah had been so clingy.

After answering a couple of emails, she stood and stretched. She didn't want her family to worry and come looking for her. As she was locking the front door, she could make out the silhouette of a mini version of herself standing on the sidewalk three houses away. A much taller masculine figure stood on the porch, arms crossed.

Leah ran towards her. "Mommy!"

"Oof!" Amy exclaimed when the little girl barreled into her, nearly knocking the wind out of her.

Sheldon walked up to them. "I'm sorry. She wouldn't get dressed unless I allowed her to wait outside."

Amy gently peeled her daughter's hands off her back and took a step back to get a look at her. The youngest Cooper wore a Wonder Woman t-shirt, lavender skirt, and leopard leggings. She twirled, her long dark hair flowing.

"Do you like my ensemble?"

"It's very nice," Amy agreed. "What wasn't nice was manipulating Daddy."

"I'm sorry! I'm just so worried about you."

"What if I can scientifically prove to you that I'm okay?"

"How?"

"We can all stop by my lab. You can study my brain waves for anxiety."

"Yay! I get to play scientist! Can I wear my lab coat?"

"Of course, Monkey!" Amy and Sheldon each took one of their daughter's tiny hands as she skipped happily down the sidewalk.

"Can I attach the electrodes?"

"With Daddy's help."

"Yay!"

"Leah, can you give me and Mommy 20 minutes to get ready?" Sheldon asked when they reached the porch. "Maybe you can get some reading in."

"Okay."

Leah removed the child-sized lab coat from its hanger and lay it on her bed. She had worn it around the house when they performed mini experiments at home but never in an actual lab. To pass the time, and to follow through on her dad's request to read, she extracted the diary out from under her mattress.

 _Feb 2, 1991_

 _I'm home alone for a couple of hours today for the first time ever. Mother tried finding a replacement babysitter, but everyone claimed they had plans. I'm sure some of them did, but I'd bet my microscope that word got around the middle and high schools about Jillian. Aunt Florence, Aunt Doe, and even Grandma already had plans. Mrs. Holland from down the street is visiting her son out of town, and Mother's few friends either had previous engagements or didn't pick up the phone._

 _I miss Jillian, but I'm actually enjoying this time alone. The house has a peaceful feeling right now. I feel freer than I've ever felt. Maybe it's because of all the tension last night and this morning. Mother couldn't even look me in the eye, not that I fared much better. I only peeked over the rim of my milk glass a few times._

 _I'm just going to read my books until she gets home, maybe even after she gets home. I'll be starting the fifth Little House on the Prairie book today. It's one of the few series Mother approves of._ _If I get on her good side, maybe she'll allow me to stay by myself more often. I just have to be careful not to upset her again._

Leah set the diary next to the white coat. She hoped her parents would trust her enough to allow her to stay home alone again, but not for the same reasons her mom had when she was her age. She had already begun a mental list of all the things she needed to search for in the diaries. Maybe once they saw how grown up she was in the lab, they would consider it.

She hid the red book in its spot under her mattress, donned her lab coat, and waited on the edge of her bed.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience and your follows, favorites, and reviews. I appreciate each and every one of you!**

Amy unlocked the door and flipped on the light switch. Leah followed her into the lab, but Sheldon held back in the hall. Amy looked from her husband to the pigeons cooing in their cages lining the counter and back again. "Sorry, Sheldon. We'll move to another room."

She ushered her daughter out, and the trio continued down the hall to the department's shared lab. "You two make yourselves comfortable. I need to go back for the portable electroencephalogram."

Amy twirled around when she heard tiny footsteps behind her. "Monkey, I'll only be gone a couple of minutes. Please wait with Daddy."

Sheldon pulled out a swivel chair for his daughter and one for himself next to a long desk topped with a computer, printer, and various scientific paraphernalia. Leah spun around, slowly at first then picking up speed.

"You might want to slow down a bit. You don't want to be dizzy when we get down to business."

Leah slowed the chair then came to a complete stop and faced him. "Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Why do birds scare you?"

"It all started when a hummingbird tried drinking the apple juice in my sippy cup."

"Hummingbirds are tiny! They can't hurt you."

"Maybe not physically, but I was emotionally scarred. It scared the bejesus out of me. And not only that, when I was seven, a blood-thirsty chicken chased me up a tree."

Leah giggled. "I can't picture you climbing a tree."

"I didn't think I could, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Adrenaline can give anyone the strength and determination to do anything."

"Did you have any other negative encounters with birds?"

"Oh yes. When I was 12, a magpie stole the retainer right out of my mouth."

Leah pursed her lips. "You're making that up."

"You know I never kid unless it's followed up with a bazinga."

"Will I need a retainer?" She opened her mouth and bared her teeth.

Sheldon leaned in to examine them, tilting his head from side to side. "They look straight to me."

Amy poked her head into the doorway. "What are you two doing?"

"We're talking about teeth!" Leah exclaimed.

"O-kay," Amy drawled. "How about we change the subject to my favorite body part, the brain!"

The little girl jumped up from her seat. "Yay!"

"Sheldon, would you mind cleaning these?" His wife held out the EEG electrodes.

"Yes, I mind! I have two doctorates..."

"Daddy, don't upset Mommy again."

"Fine," he sighed, snatching the electrodes from his wife's hand, donned a lab coat, and proceeded to the sink.

"Don't dunk them in. Just dampen a cotton swab and rub the surfaces."

"I know," he answered through gritted teeth then softened. "Sorry. I shouldn't have barked at you. You had a rough night."

"It's okay, Sheldon. I know cleaning lab equipment is beneath you, but it needs to be done." Amy directed her attention to her daughter. "While Daddy's busy, how about you help me set up the program," she offered, while booting up the computer.

"Okay." Leah scooted her chair closer to the screen. "How does it work?"

"We'll be using a program called BioExplorer to collect and read the data transmitted from the electrodes. You'll want to pay close attention to my alpha and beta waves. Do you remember the difference between alpha and beta waves?"

"Alpha waves are present while a person is relaxed and resting, and beta waves are present with mental activity."

"That's right!"

"Theta waves are present while a person is sleeping and delta waves only when in a deep sleep."

"Now you're just showing off," Amy winked at her.

Sheldon joined them at the desk. "Ready?"

"Just about." She turned back to her daughter. "We'll be watching for anxiety. An anxious person will display excessive beta activity in the right frontal lobe, in the center of the top of the head, or in the parietal area in the back of the head, which we'll observe in the Statistics and Instruments screens."

"What would be considered excessive?" Leah asked.

"That's an excellent question! High levels of beta waves, known as beta 3 waves, range from 18 to 40 Hz; 40 would be extreme paranoia. Do you have any questions before we start?" Amy asked.

"Not yet."

"Anytime you do, feel free to ask. Daddy will place the first two or three electrodes, so watch carefully."

"This is going to take awhile," he warned his daughter. "Amy, why aren't we using a cap like we did back when I was starting out with dark matter? We didn't have to mess with individual leads."

"I want Leah to get the full lab experience, starting by learning the 10-20 international system of electrode placement."

"You did experiments on each other?" Leah asked in awe.

"Quite a few actually," Sheldon affirmed. "Amy, remember that time you wanted me to try the sensory deprivation tank?"

"I got a resounding 'No!'" She informed her daughter.

"You know I have a higher than normal body density and can't float."

"Did you try it, Mommy?"

"I did. It was actually very relaxing, at least it was after I convinced Daddy to keep the door closed."

"I didn't want to lose you!"

"I wouldn't have done it if there was a chance I'd drown. There was only 10 inches of water filled with 800 pounds of Epsom salt. I was as buoyant as I'd have been in the Dead Sea." To Leah she added, "Even though Daddy watched the monitor the whole time and saw that my alpha waves were on fire and I even reached the theta stage briefly, he wasn't completely convinced."

"What was it like in the tank?"

"There was no light or sound. The water temperature was set to skin temperature, so I didn't feel hot or cold. I was, in a sense, defying gravity. With no outside stimuli, I had no concept of time. I was able to focus on my breathing and just be."

"Did you experiment on me when I was a baby?"

Sheldon and Amy shared a look over their daughter's head.

"We discussed it and decided it would be unethical to experiment on you without your consent," Amy explained.

"We waited until you were old enough to talk. Of course, you reached each developmental milestone well ahead of schedule, so it wasn't long before that was possible," Sheldon stated, the pride evident in his voice.

"And we didn't try anything invasive," Amy promised. "It was mostly memory games and puzzles."

"How did I do?"

"Very well; your scores were exceptional." Sheldon boasted.

"Did you save the information?"

Sheldon furrowed his brow. "Of course we did. What kind of scientists would we be if we didn't track your progress?"

"Did you track it in a diary?" Leah asked hopefully.

"More like an electronic journal," Amy clarified.

"Can I read it?"

"We've kind of gotten off track. Let's do the experiment first." Amy pulled up a diagram of the EEG electrode placement and explained the reasoning for that particular pattern.

Leah studied her dad's every move as he squirted a dab of adhesive conducting paste on an electrode, swept back a lock of her mom's hair, then gently pressed it against her skull. After the second one, Leah rolled up her white lab coat sleeves and copied her dad's actions.

"Very good!" Sheldon praised. Leah beamed.

Thirty minutes later, when each electrode was in place, covering Amy's head in tiny wires, and the device was synchchronized with the computer, Leah hit the 'Record' button. She stared intently at the screen, marveling at the ever-changing wave patterns in the Statistics and Instruments panels.

"Your beta waves are active. Are you stressed?" Leah asked, tearing her eyes from the screen to study her mom's face.

"No, they're right about where they should be. I'm at 14 Hz right now; it's just my analytical mind at work. Nothing to be concerned about."

The trio continued watching for several minutes. Amy showed her daughter a few more of the program's functions, explaining their uses, and discussed some of her past research projects.

"This is fun! I want to be a neurobiologist just like you when I grow up."

Sheldon frowned. "Last month you wanted to be a physicist. Remember how much fun you had with your Doppler effect project?"

"And the month before that you wanted to be a microbiologist like Auntie Bernadette," Amy pointed out. "Monkey, you have years to decide."

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"How did you know you wanted to be a neurobiologist?"

"I've been interested in science for as long as I can remember, but it wasn't until I was 12 that I narrowed down the field. I was reading an issue of Journal of Neuroscience. One article in particular stood out at me. It was regarding treatment for adults with brain injuries. I was fascinated by the research that suggested the brain is capable of re-learning and recovering from brain injury.

"Two months earlier, my cousin Irene's boyfriend Bret slipped on a patch of ice at a ski lodge and hit his head hard on the parking lot pavement. He had a CT scan and an MRI; both came back negative. He was sent home with medication but began having dizzy spells and memory lapses. A few days later his head hurt like hell... sorry, like the dickens." She amended upon seeing the horrified look on her husband's face. "He saw a neurologist who told him he had post-concussive traumatic brain injury, or TBI, and was told the concussion may or may not ever go away.

"When I read that article, he still hadn't recovered. I showed it to Irene who showed it to Bret's mom. His neurologist reexamined him then enrolled him in a neurobiological study for patients with TBI led by the article's research team. I soaked in every word Bret uttered about the study, about his slow but steady progress. I knew right then this was the path for me. There is so much about the brain scientists are still trying to figure out, but we've made great strides."

"Wow! I want to read that article."

"We can search for it on PubMed later."

"So if you knew what you wanted to do when you were 12, then in four years I'll know what I want to be?" Leah asked hopefully.

"Maybe, maybe not. Whatever you decide we'll be supportive. You are very lucky that so many people in your life have fulfilling careers. You can try them out and see which one interests you the most. And don't limit yourself to those professions. Your options are nearly limitless."

They all turned their attention back to the screen.

"My beta waves haven't reached the beta 3 level. Would you like to keep recording, or are you satisfied I'm not anxious?"

"I'm good. Thanks, Mommy. I'm glad we did this."

"Me too." Amy leaned over and hugged her, careful not to tangle the wires in the little girl's hair.

Leah tapped the Stop button and saved the file to the cloud for future viewing. She and Sheldon removed the electrodes from Amy's head, careful not to pull her hair. When they were all out, Leah giggled.

"What's so funny, Monkey?"

"You have conducting paste all over your head!"

"It'll wash out. What else shall we do today?"

"Can I read the journal entries about the experiments you did on me?"

"Sheldon, what do you think?"

"I think she's ready. Let's show her the one about the first puzzle we recorded."

Amy tapped away at the keyboard and opened the document.

 _August 2, 2021_

 _Leah continues to amaze us each day. At just two years and five days old, she is already leaps and bounds ahead of test subjects #3 (four years her senior) and #7 (five years her senior)._

Leah stopped reading. "Who are the other test subjects?"

"Co-workers' children. A small group of us thought it would be interesting to compare notes." Amy responded. "Are you upset we used you as a guinea pig?"

"I think it's fascinating! I have the best parents in the world!"

Amy breathed a sigh of relief. She and Sheldon had discussed it extensively before even asking their infant daughter for permission. Though the little girl had been excited at the time and had agreed to be a test subject, Amy sometimes wondered if they had done the right thing. She looked down at her miracle child then up at her husband who was reading the screen silently with their daughter.

 _Today we presented her with a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle of a forest without a lot of contrast - a challenging puzzle for the average adult. I watched her tiny hands search out the edge pieces. When the frame was completed, she began separating the different shades of green and placed them in piles. Amy's eyes followed her beta waves on the screen. Halfway through we switched places._

 _Total time 45 minutes; 50 minutes quicker than test subject #7._

Leah swiveled her chair to face her parents. "Wow! I did real well."

"You sure did," Sheldon concurred, touseling her hair.

"We were so proud of you. We ARE so proud of you," Amy corrected herself.

"How many experiments did you do on me?"

"379," Sheldon said. "We only did three jig saw puzzles because we wanted to try a variety of tests. We gave you a puzzle box with a banana in it, and you figured it out in less than one minute. It took Auntie Penny 20 minutes, and Uncle Leonard never did figure it out."

"Did Auntie Penny and Uncle Leonard experiment on Cadence and Dylan?"

"No, and they wouldn't allow us to try either," Sheldon huffed.

"I want to do more experiments!"

"Not today, Monkey, but I promise we will soon." Amy consulted her watch. "It's after noon and I'm famished. Shall we check out the cafeteria?"

"I'm kind of hungry myself," Sheldon acknowledged.

Amy powered down the computer while Sheldon and Leah removed their lab coats and cleaned the electrodes. Then she ushered them out and locked the door.

Leah grabbed her hand the moment she tucked her keys into her purse and took her dad's hand too. "I hope they have mac and cheese."

"Trust me, they have it," Sheldon assured her.

"What are you guys doing here on a Saturday?" Raj asked as they entered the dining area with their trays.

"We could ask the same about you," Sheldon countered, taking the seat next to his friend.

"I was bored, as I usually am on a Saturday morning, so I came in to go over some data."

"Did you find anything, Uncle Raj?"

"Sadly no, but I have all afternoon and evening."

Amy swallowed a bite of salad. "No plans for tonight?"

"It's forecasted to be a clear night, so I was thinking of taking a telescope out to Vasquez Rocks once the sun goes down. Cassiopeia will be visible, but I'd rather not go alone."

Leah bounced in her seat. "Can I come?"

Amy reached across the table and placed her hand on her husband's. "What do you think, Sheldon?"

"I don't see why not. It will be a good experience for her."

Raj grinned from ear to ear. "That's great! We're going to have so much fun!"

"Yay!" Leah cheered.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you all again for the follows, favorites, and reviews. I've changed the rating from T to M. You'll discover why...**

 _February 3, 1991_

 _Mother and I are still barely speaking to each other. I'm glad tomorrow's Monday because for once I'm actually wishing I was at school instead of here. Even the bullying is better than having my own mother ignore me._

 _I've made a decision to get a second diary to keep in the sin closet so I have something to do the next time, and I know there will be a next time. I have a little money saved in my monkey bank. The only problem is buying one without Mother finding out. I need to come up with a plan._

"Leah! Uncle Raj is here!" Sheldon called out.

Leah shoved the diary under her mattress, combed her hair, and met her parents and uncle in the foyer just as her mom pulled a scarf from the closet.

"I don't need a scarf!" Leah whined.

"Monkey, it's going to get chilly out there. I'd rather you take it and not need it than wish you had it," Amy reasoned, placing the scarf along with a wool hat and mittens into a tote bag that was already filled with a packet of trail mix, freeze-dried fruit pouches, and beef jerky. She handed it to her daughter who accepted it reluctantly.

"Don't worry, Amy. I'll make sure she wears them if it gets cold enough," Raj reassured her.

"Thank you, Rajesh." She turned back to her daughter. "Have fun tonight."

"Thanks, Mommy." Leah wrapped her arms around her mom's waist and squeezed then repeated her actions with her dad. "Bye, Daddy!"

Sheldon and Amy waved as their daughter and friend drove off to study the night sky. Amy shut the door and turned to face her husband, twirling her hair around her finger. "Whatever will we do tonight?"

"If Leah were here, I'd say we should work on the new Superman Lego set."

"We can do that tomorrow or next weekend. Right now we have the whole house to ourselves. We could have a little sexy time," she purred.

"What if Raj realizes he forgot something and comes back?"

"He won't."

"What if Leah realizes she'd rather spend the evening with us?"

"She talked about telescopes and black holes all the way home from the university. I really don't think she'll change her mind," Amy reasoned.

"You don't know that! I don't want them to return early and catch us in a compromising position."

"How about we have a date night? It's been ages since you and I have done anything with just the two of us."

"But it's Saturday; Saturday is laundry night."

"Sheldon, I'm starting to get the feeling you don't want to be alone with me."

"That's not true." He came up behind her, swept a lock of hair off her neck, and ran a trail of tiny kisses down to her collarbone. He tore his mouth away to whisper in her ear. "Of course I want to be alone with you, but we didn't warn Raj. And if we go out and they come back..."

"We don't have to go anywhere. We can start the laundry, cook and eat a nice dinner together, then when all the laundry is put away, we can watch a movie and cuddle and see where it goes from there."

"Alright." He entwined his fingers with hers, and they proceeded to the bedroom to gather the laundry hamper.

"Why don't you get the laundry going while I start dinner. I was just going to throw a frozen pizza in the oven, but we could make spaghetti with cut up hotdogs instead," Amy suggested.

"You know I can't say no to that."

Amy grinned as her husband kissed her cheek before toting their dirty clothes down the hall. She put a pot of water on to boil then set up her iPod to Sheldon's favorite music, the Super Mario Bros theme song.

When the water came to a rolling boil, she tossed in the spaghetti and set the kitchen timer. Sheldon casually walked over to her and playfully swatted her behind with the oven mitt.

"Someone's in a playful mood."

"I can't help it. The food, the music... If you're trying to seduce me, Dr. Fowler-Cooper, you're succeeding."

She took his hand and guided him away from the stove. When they we're a safe distance away, she released his hand and pulled his head down until their lips met, softly at first then becoming more persistent. He welcomed her probing tongue as she backed him into the wall. She could taste a hint of the iced tea he had after lunch as their tongues swirled together.

His hands slid up the back of her shirt, unhooking her bra, then running them lightly up and down her warm skin.

"Mmm..." She moaned into his mouth, as she hitched her leg up his. Her hands roamed over his biceps, kneading the muscular flesh. "Oh God, Sheldon!" She cried out when his hands made contact with her shoulder joints.

"You like that, don't you?" He murmured.

His warm breath on her ear made her whimper and cling to him harder, and she began to grind herself against the rock-hard bulge in his pants.

"Woman, you better be careful," he warned.

"And why is that, Dr. Cooper?" She whispered seductively.

They jumped at the shrill ring of the kitchen timer, reminding them of their original purpose in the kitchen.

"Dammit!" She hissed. She reluctantly lowered her leg from his hips and patted the front of his pants before stepping away.

"Screw the pasta!" He came up behind her as she turned off the stovetop and cupped her bottom.

"As much as I want to continue this, we really should get this drained."

"But Amy! Look what you've done to me." He ground himself against her.

"I know." She twisted her head around and pecked him on the lips. "We'll eat quickly then resume where we left off."

xxx

"It's difficult to see, but if you look carefully you can make out all the stars in the constellation Orion. The second-brightest one is called betelgeuse. It's also the ninth-brightest star in the night sky."

Leah waited until the astrophysicist stepped away from the telescope then leaned over and peered into the eyepiece. "Fascinating!" She stared at the group of stars for several minutes then swiveled the scope over an inch.

Raj cringed. "Next time you want to move it, please ask. Now I have to recalibrate it."

She stepped aside as he attempted to pinpoint the lens's previous point. "But I want to find my mom's asteroid."

"I'm afraid this scope isn't powerful enough to view it, but I can show you its coordinates the next time you're at the university," he offered as he adjusted the scope. "That was quite a day when your dad and I discovered it. I can't believe it's been almost 12 years."

"I already know the coordinates. Daddy gave Mommy a certificate with all the information. She has it in a frame in their bedroom." She peered into his face. "Uncle Raj, if you both found it, how did you decide to name it Amy?"

"I suggested combining our names, but..." Raj looked down at the little girl's expectant face. "We couldn't agree on the right combination. Then Uncle Leonard suggested combining our girlfriends' names."

"What was your girlfriend's name?"

"Emily."

"So you took the 'AM' from Amy and the 'Y' from Emily."

"You are your father's daughter," Raj muttered. When Leah furrowed her brow, Raj continued. "Your dad and I talked it over, and I agreed to allow him to name it Amy under one condition."

"What condition?"

"Oh... Well... It's probably best if you hear it from your parents..."

"Please tell me, Uncle Raj. Please, please, please!"

"Well, when you put it that way." He gestured for her to take a seat on a large, flat red rock.

She sat down then quickly jumped up. "Brrr!"

Raj pulled her scarf from the tote bag, folded it, and lay it on the rock. When she was settled in, he handed her a water bottle from his small cooler. "I bet you're glad your mom insisted you pack that."

"I guess," she admitted reluctantly.

Raj took a sip of water and leaned back on his rock, tilting his head up to the sky.

"Uncle Raj, you were going to tell me why you named the asteroid after my mom."

"Oh yes. Of course." He took another sip of water.

"You're stalling!"

"Okay fine." He adjusted himself to a more comfortable position. "You know how your parents named you Leah after neurobiologist Leah Krubitzer?" Leah nodded. "Well, that wasn't supposed to be your name. Your dad promised me that if I let him name the asteroid after your mom that they would name all their children Rajesh, but he went back on his word."

Leah snickered. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard."

"It's totally true!"

Leah studied his face. "You're really not joking?"

"No, I'm not. I swear to cow!"

Leah giggled. Ever since her dad had told her the line, she begged Raj to say it when the opportunity arose. Eventually the phrase stuck. "But Rajesh is a boy's name."

"It is, but a deal's a deal. He told me your mom was not okay with it, so they compromised. If they had a girl, your mom would choose the name, and if they had a boy, they would have named him Rajesh. She agreed, but I didn't."

"I'm sorry. My dad is really good at keeping promises, but my mom can be very persuasive."

"Yes, she sure can be," he agreed.

They sat sipping their water and helped themselves to the snacks Amy had packed.

Leah tilted her head back, admiring the universe. "What happened to Emily?" She asked without taking her eyes off the sky.

"We broke up shortly after the asteroid discovery. We were very different people. She was into dark, creepy things. It was very unsettling."

"If you were so different, how did you meet?"

"Through a dating site."

"That's how my parents met!"

"I know. And to think it all started because of a dirty sock."

Leah lowered her gaze to the man next to her. "Huh? What sock?"

"Your parents didn't tell you?"

"No..."

"Uh oh."

xxx

Amy snuggled closer to her husband. Even though they were watching Avatar for what felt like the millionth time, he was entranced with the action on screen. Her hand moved under the blanket, slowly inching its way up his leg to his pants zipper.

He paused the movie. "I thought we decided to wait after eating all those carbs."

"It's just a little hand action. We can still watch the movie." She plucked the remote from his hand and unpaused the video. They watched in companionable silence for a minute until her fingertips crept back to their previous spot.

His eyes darted between the TV and the movement of the blanket draped over his lower body. "Pause it!" He commanded. The moment her free hand pushed the button, he lunged at her so her back was up against the armrest. His lips caught hers in a passionate liplock, his tongue seeking entry.

Her hand slowly unzipped his pants and set him free. Her fingertips brushed his member from base to tip and back again before grasping him firmly but gently in her small hand.

He tore his lips away. "Oh dear Lord!"

"You like this, Dr. Cooper?" She asked huskily.

He nodded, speechless.

"I miss this. Being able to make out anywhere and not having to be quiet," she admitted, her voice husky with desire.

"We should ask Raj to take Leah every Saturday."

"As nice as that sounds, that wouldn't be fair to Rajesh. Eventually he's going to start dating again."

"But until then..." His hands wandered past her waistline, under her cardigan, to her breasts. He cupped them through the thin fabric of her button-down shirt.

"Oh, Sheldon!"

His hands deftly unbuttoned the front of her shirt and pushed the fabric aside, exposing her nearly bare chest. Her bra was still unhooked from earlier, so he pushed the lacy garment up and covered her bare breasts with his hands.

With one hand still stroking him, the other met his. Her fingers wrapped around his and maneuvered them into a pinching position. He obliged and gently pulled at her nipple repeatedly, causing her to moan. Her hand trailed back down to his testicles, teasing them tenderly.

"We should probably take this to the bedroom," he panted.

"I want you here!"

He carefully extracted himself from her, stood, ripped off his shirts, and kicked off his pants and underwear. She simultaneously lifted herself off the couch, frantically removed her shirt and bra, and unzipped her skirt. He pulled it off and tossed it with his clothes then hooked his thumbs into her only remaining garment then flung it aside.

As she scooted over to the back of the couch, he slid in next to her so they faced each other, and covered them with the thin blanket. Their hands roamed each other's bodies, hers on his hard member, his resting at the wet curls between her legs. He inserted a finger slowly then another.

"Oh God, Sheldon!"

They pleasured each other manually until they couldn't wait another second. She positioned herself on her back. He hovered over her for a second before plunging into her. Her nails raked his back as he thrust slowly. His head bent down between them and suckled on her nipples, causing her hips to buck up.

"Faster!" She urged.

He lifted his head and picked up the pace, her hips meeting each thrust.

"Sheldon!" She whimpered, pulsing around him as he finally let himself go.

"Amy!" He cried out before slumping on top of her. When he regained his energy, he lifted himself onto his elbows and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper."

"I love you too, you sexy man!"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay. I was out of town last week and had no time to write. I hope you enjoy.**

Amy peeked into her daughter's room. The little girl's arm dangled over her bed, her long dark hair fanned out across her pillow. She watched her a few moments longer then tiptoed to the kitchen.

"She's still asleep," she whispered to her husband.

"I'm not surprised, given that Raj didn't bring her home until almost midnight. What was he thinking, keeping an 8-year-old out that late?"

"Poor thing. She didn't even stir when he carried her in." Amy pulled out a stool at the island and watched as Sheldon dipped a slice of Challah in a cinnamon/egg mixture and placed it in a sizzling hot cast iron pan.

"I suppose we should let her sleep a little longer, but not too long. I'm not throwing out perfectly good French toast."

Amy sipped her lukewarm mug of tea and grimaced while he cut the next slice off the loaf. "Last night was fun."

"It was," he agreed. He looked up and caught his wife staring at the wall where she had pinned him the previous evening. He let out a slow shaky breath as he mentally counted to ten. Even after ten years of marriage, he was still captivated by her charms.

They locked eyes before Amy slid off the stool and wrapped her arms around his waist. His hands pressed against the small of her back, pulling her to him. They held each other until the shrill ring of the kitchen timer caused them to jump.

"The toast!" He murmured. He kissed the top of her head then gently extracted himself to flip the contents of the pan.

She padded down the hall and entered the little girl's room again, crossing over to the window. She glanced over her shoulder at the small figure on the bed then pulled the cord on the blind.

Leah's eyes fluttered open then squinted at the sunlight that streamed in through the window. She threw her arm over her eyes and groaned.

Amy sat on the edge of the bed. "Sorry, Monkey. We let you sleep in as long as we could."

Leah consulted her alarm clock, her eyes widening. "Did I miss French toast day?"

"Nope. Daddy started it a little later today."

"But his schedule..."

"It's okay. I convinced him to delay it this once. We'll shorten our kite flying time a little to get things back on track."

Amy scooted to the foot of the bed as Leah untangled herself from the jungle-themed comforter.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"I hope you and Daddy aren't mad at me for staying out late."

"We're not mad. We were a little surprised and worried but not mad. Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah! I want to be an astrophysicist when I grow up."

Amy ruffled her daughter's hair. "It was that interesting, was it?"

Leah nodded enthusiastically. "Uncle Raj pointed out all the constellations. I tried finding your asteroid, but he said it wasn't visible through the telescope." She tilted her head to the side. "Is it true my name was supposed to be Rajesh?"

"I can't believe he told you about that," Amy mumbled.

"So it's definitely true."

Amy plucked an imaginary piece of lint off her bathrobe. "Yes." She raised her eyes to her daughter's. "Daddy really wanted to name the asteroid after me, and apparently it was the only way Uncle Raj would agree."

"How did you convince Daddy to name me Leah?"

"I pointed out that we are both your parents, and we both need to agree on your name. After some discussion, we compromised. If you were a boy, we'd name you Rajesh, Leah if you were a girl."

"But Daddy went back on his word."

"He did. It was really hard for him, but he's tried making up for it in other ways."

"Breakfast is ready!" Sheldon called out.

"Mommy, you can go. I'll catch up in a few minutes," Leah announced.

Amy stood as her daughter donned her fluffy purple bathrobe and Wonder Woman slippers and headed for the bathroom. She joined her husband in the kitchen just as he set the last plate on the table. She noted the fresh cup of tea next to her place setting and smiled appreciatively. They took their seats and waited.

"Raj told Leah about your deal with him," Amy murmured.

Sheldon ran a hand over his face. "And after all we've done for him. What did you tell her?"

"The truth; I confirmed it."

"Is she upset?"

"She didn't seem to be, but I think she's concerned that you went back on your word."

"And who's fault is that?"

"Sheldon, we've been over this more times than I can count..."

"56..."

She glared at him. "I'm sorry I said anything."

He softened. "I'm sorry. You know I didn't really want to name our child Rajesh. I'm grateful you gave me an out, even though I'm a man of my word."

She laid her hand on his. "I know."

"I can't believe he would blurt out something like that. I wonder what else he told her."

"She already knows about the sin closet. I don't know that there's much else we haven't already divulged."

Sheldon turned his eyes to the Batman and Joker wall clock. The second hand ticked as the seconds turned to minutes. "I heard the sink turn off three minutes ago. The food's getting cold. What's she doing?"

"I'll go check." She pushed her chair back just as Leah sauntered into the room. "Everything okay, Monkey?"

"Yep!"

They eyed her suspiciously for a moment before digging in. Leah drowned her food in syrup then held her fork and knife properly, as she'd been taught. She cut off a small corner of toast, the extra syrup dripping onto her plate as she lifted it to her mouth.

Amy swallowed a bite then washed it down with a sip of red zinger. "Before we leave for the park, I need to check on Leonard and Penny's place one last time before they arrive home."

"It feels like Cadence has been gone for weeks," Leah whined.

"It's only been four days," Sheldon reasoned.

"I know, Daddy. I said it _feels_ like weeks."

"Leah, I know you're tired, but please don't whine. You'll see Cadence at school tomorrow," Amy promised.

xxx

Leah poked her head between the seats as her mom drove the 25 miles from Pasadena and Redondo Beach. "Daddy, I'm sorry my kite string tangled with yours. It was an accident."

Sheldon sighed. During their last outing, Leah had appeared so confident in her kite-handling skills. He should have known better than to bring his prized dual-lined stunt kite. Now they were driving an hour out of their way so he could buy a decent replacement.

When they arrived at the kite store, Amy and Leah wandered the aisles while Sheldon carefully examined each of the kites he deemed worthy.

"Now Daddy's schedule is really off."

"It's okay, Monkey. If Daddy was really concerned, he would have waited until next weekend to come here. Come on. Let's pick out a new kite for you too."

Leah sifted through the beginner level selections. A pretty multicolored butterfly caught her eye. She lifted it from the rack and searched for the price tag. "This one's only $12. Can I get it?"

"Of course; $12 is very reasonable."

They spotted Sheldon holding a dragon-shaped kite up to the light. His fingers glided over the silky fabric. He set it down then picked up a blue and gold delta-style kite and performed the same actions.

"Sheldon?" Amy called softly.

"Amy, I can't decide between these two. Which one do you think I should get?"

"Get them both!" Leah suggested.

Amy inspected the price tags. "Monkey, they're over $100 a piece. We really should just get one." She turned to her husband. "I don't know, Sheldon. The dragon screams Sheldon Cooper, but this one," she pointed to the blue and gold kite, "claims to be a higher performer."

"That's exactly why I need a second opinion."

"Why don't you try that coin flip trick I taught you? You'll either be disappointed or excited by the outcome."

"That didn't work 13 years ago, and it won't work now."

"Get the dragon," Amy suggested.

"I don't know..."

"Fine. Then go with the other one."

"Hmm..." As his eyes scanned each one, a salesperson stepped up next to the Cooper family.

"Excellent choices," the man proclaimed.

"Oh, I'm not getting both. I need to decide which one will make me the happiest."

"Do you kite for fun or for sport?"

"I suppose it would be considered for fun, although I regard myself as an experienced kiteflyer."

Leah tugged on mom's sleeve. "Mommy? Maybe I was too hasty choosing my kite so quickly. I didn't compare it to any others like Daddy's doing."

"Do you like this one?"

"I love it!"

"There's your answer, Monkey." She looked up to see Sheldon setting down the delta flag. "Looks like Daddy's ready too."

They paid for their purchases and headed out to the parking lot.

"Goodbye, old friend," he whispered to his tattered kite before placing the new kites next to it in the trunk.

When they arrived home an hour later, Sheldon immediately set to work on assembling the dragon kite while Leah watched. "Did you see the posters advertising the 53rd annual Festival of the Kites?" He continued without waiting for a reply. "I'm thinking of entering this one."

"I want to enter mine too! Do you think I'll be ready?"

"Of course! You're a Cooper. We excel at everything."

"But I didn't excel today," Leah pouted.

"You did great! You were just tired and lost your focus."

"Thanks, Daddy!" She abandoned her chair and stood to wrap her arms around him.

He gently set the kite frame on the table and returned the hug.

Amy slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her keys. "I'm going to pick up dinner."

"Amy, you know I prefer your cooking."

"I know, but this is the only way to stay on schedule. Leah, would you like to come?"

"Thanks, Mommy, but I want to stay home." Leah waited until the car backed out of the driveway. "Daddy, may I be excused?"

"Of course," he replied, barely taking his eyes off the project in front of him.

Leah headed down the hall towards the library. She figured she'd have at least 20 minutes of alone time, just enough to find and read another diary entry. She pushed the ladder to the spot she calculated the diary her mom kept just prior to meeting her dad would be then decided against it. As eager as she was to find out more about the dirty sock, she didn't wish to waste time locating something that may not even exist. She would save that for another time. Plus she hoped she might get answers directly from her parents, that was if her plan worked.

Instead she decided to read an entry she knew existed, and she remembered the exact spot to find it. She positioned the ladder directly in front of the biology textbook hiding the black spiral-bound diary.

 _April 9, 2015_

 _I can't believe this is actually happening! I'm going to spend the night with my boyfriend in a fort in his living room! Dreams really do come true! I actually pinched myself to prove this is real._

 _April 10, 2015_

 _I'm still I shock! Last night was the best night of my life. For the first time in our five-year relationship, we spent the night together. It was only sleeping and cuddling, but I'm okay with that - more than okay with it. It was even better than the sleepovers I always dreamed of as a child because I was with the man I love._

 _The night didn't start off well. While eating a homecooked meal we prepared together, Sheldon was moping over the fact that he wasn't invited to Richard Feynman's house for a symposium. We started talking about how we've both endured being left out our entire lives. When he told me that Missy and Junior excluded him from their activities while they were growing up, it broke my heart. He recalled the time they built a blanket fort and denied him access. Mother would never have allowed me to use our sheets so frivolously, and growing up without friends, I missed out too._

 _Date night was almost ruined until a lightbulb went off over my head. We could build our own fort. After searching for instructions online, we set to work. It turned out really well. We even used colored lights and had a secret physics lending library. It was magical! We roughed it and sat on the floor then had a knockout round of forts. Of course Fort Cozy McBlanket won. There was never any doubt (sorry Fort Knox)._

 _When my phone alarm signaled 10 p.m., I was about to leave, but Sheldon proposed that we suspend the date night parameters and I stay later. I proposed that I stay really late and we have our first sleepover. I never imagined he'd agree and was pleasantly surprised when he did._

 _I suggested a PG-rated night, but we compromised to have a G-rated sleepover with a warning for families with babies and toddlers. Luckily I had hidden a nightgown and toiletries under the couch two years ago. I worried that would freak him out, and it did a little, but he was in so in awe of my preparedness that he got over it really quickly._

 _Sheldon wanted to sleep on the couch, but I convinced him to join me on the floor, agreeing to keep a respectable distance. We rolled out sleeping bags to sleep on top of, to provide some padding from the hardwood floor, and covered up with Star Wars blankets. He surprised me again when he leaned over to kiss me. He reasoned that it was date night afterall. If we waited until morning, it couldn't technically be called date 'night', and the relationship agreement stipulates each date night must end with a kiss. While the kiss was sweet and chaste, it was more electrifying than any of our other kisses to date. Maybe it was just the thought of spending the night next to him._

 _I couldn't help but inhale the scent of him on the pillow he lent me. His blend of talc and pheromones is intoxicating. At one point I inhaled so deeply that he thought I was having difficulties breathing._

 _I was so wound up that it took me awhile to fall asleep. He must have felt the same way because when I whispered his name, he responded without hesitation. We spent over an hour discussing the wonders of the scientific universe as we laid side by side in the dark. He was the first to fall asleep. I listened as his breathing slowed and wished it wasn't so dark so I could watch him. I longed to reach out and touch his hair, his face, his arms, his... everything, but I didn't want to risk waking him and have him reconsider._

 _When I awoke this morning, I caught him propped up on his elbow staring at me. He quickly averted his eyes and cleared his throat. I tentatively reached out and smoothed his mussed up hair. Instead of backing away, as I expected, he leaned into my hand. Then when he pulled me towards him, I swear I saw desire in his eyes. Had Leonard not come out at that moment, there's no telling what might have happened._

 _Leonard whipped up scrambled eggs and toast while Sheldon showered. As they rarely have overnight guests, the bathroom schedule had to be modified to allow me time for my morning ablutions. This meant Leonard's shower time was cut in half._

 _The three of us scarfed down breakfast before heading to work. Leonard looked relieved when I offered to drive Sheldon. I know Sheldon can be difficult, and Leonard is more like a brother to him than his own brother, but I wish he and our other friends would be more sympathetic. He had a hard enough childhood, and I believe it's because of this that he sets rules and boundaries. It gives him some control and provides him with emotional armor from the ridicule and emotional abuse. If magic was real, I'd wave my wand and make all the hurt disappear._

 _When we arrived at Caltech, I parked in front of the physics building. We said our goodbyes, then Sheldon leaned over the console and kissed me softly. Before I could react, he was gone._

 _I can't wait until we can have days like these all the time. I know Sheldon's not ready, but he's getting there._

Leah heard the car pull up. There would be no time to get the diary back in its place, so she slid it under the brown couch. She recalled the last time she had almost been caught. Keeping her parents away until the evidence was gone would be tricky, but she was confident she could do it. Her dad was right, Coopers really did excel at everything.

 **A/N: What was taking Leah so long in the morning? When will she be caught with the diaries? Keep reading to find out!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I apologize for the delay in posting. Thank you so much for your patience.**

Leah listened to her parents' retreating footsteps after tucking her in. Moments later she heard the muted sounds of Animal Planet emanating from the living room. The diary hidden beneath the couch in the library was safe for now.

She reached under her mattress and pulled out the red diary. Her hand fumbled for her booklight in the darkened room. When she found it, she located her place in the diary and clipped the light on.

 _February 4, 1991_

 _It's been three days since Mother locked me in the sin closet, and we're still barely speaking. The ride to school was so awkward. I stared out the window, my lunch bag resting on my lap and my bookbag on the floor by my feet. When we reached the school, she bid me a curt goodbye then peeled out of the dropoff area. Mother has always been such a careful driver. It pains me to know I'm the cause of her recklessness._

 _In class I kept to myself, as I always do, but Mrs. O' Brien must have sensed something was up because she discreetly pulled me aside when the morning recess bell rang. She asked if there was anything I wanted to talk about. I briefly considered telling her everything but decided to just tell her the bare minimum. I told her Mother and I weren't getting along but omitted the part about the sin closet. I don't want her to call child services. She tried prying more info out of me, but I just reiterated what I already told her. Then the bell rang for class to resume, and I took my seat._

 _I finished books 7 and 8 of the Little House on the Prairie series and couldn't wait to return them and pick up the next ones. Just as she promised, Miss Baines had set aside the next two in the series for me. I was concerned when Mrs. Garza told me she was retiring last year. She was always so protective of me. She never once complained when I attempted to hide in the library to avoid recess and the mean girls, and she always seemed to know which books to set aside for me. Miss Baines has proven to be just as understanding. It appears to be a trait all librarians share._

 _Miss Baines was also concerned for me. I felt more comfortable talking to her than I did with Mrs. O' Brien, but I still didn't mention the sin closet. I told her about Mother firing Jillian and reluctantly allowing me to stay home alone while she had to work. Then she did the most amazing thing. She asked if I'd be interested in helping out at the library after school on days Mother needed to work later._

Leah yawned. Though she tried to resist it, the feeling of exhaustion set in. It had been a long, action-packed weekend. Before her eyelids betrayed her, she unclipped the booklight, shoved the diary back in its hiding place, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

xxx

"Oh, dear Lord! Amy!" Sheldon hollared.

Leah startled awake. She squinted at her alarm clock. The red digital display revealed it was 10 o'clock. Her room was still shrouded in darkness, which meant it was still nighttime. She wanted to get up and see what was going on. If only she wasn't so tired. She tossed her comforter aside and stumbled over to her parents' door. Her dad was still yelling but had calmed down somewhat.

"Daddy?" She called out from the hall.

Amy opened the door and took her daughter by the hand, leading her into the master bedroom. "Leah, can you explain why there was a dirty sock under the blanket?" Amy asked, gingerly picking up an unlaundered child-sized purple sock between her thumb and index finger while Sheldon stripped the sheets off the bed.

Leah blinked several times. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, yet her sleep-induced state was beginning to take over. She stifled a yawn and plucked the sock from her mom's hand.

"Leah?" Sheldon pressed when his daughter stood still, saying nothing.

"Uncle Raj told me you met because of a dirty sock."

"I see," Sheldon muttered.

"Why did you hide it?" Amy asked.

Leah shrugged. Amy sat down on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed and patted the spot next to her.

When the little girl was seated, Sheldon slid over to her other side. "What exactly did Uncle Raj say?"

"He told me he met a girlfriend online. I said that's how you met. Then he said it was all because of a dirty sock."

Amy peered down at her. "Then what?"

"Then I asked him about it, and he said, "uh oh."

Sheldon and Amy shared a look over their daughter's head, an action that was becoming more common over the past month.

Amy lowered her gaze to peer into her daughter's blue eyes. "Leah, I don't want to get into it now because it's late, and you have school tomorrow."

"Is it true?"

"Yes, Uncle Raj told the truth. A dirty sock played a part in our first meeting." Amy replied.

"But neither of you like soiled hoisery. Daddy can't even sleep on the sheets where my sock was."

"We'll discuss it more tomorrow. We all need our sleep." Amy promised as she ushered her daughter back to her room.

"But, Mommy..."

"Leah, don't argue with me."

The little girl sighed, tossed the sock in the hamper, and crawled back under the covers. Amy kissed her temple before returning to her own bedroom.

"Why can't Raj keep his mouth shut? It was enough that we told Leah we met online and had our first date in a coffee shop. She doesn't need to know the details." Sheldon murmured as they each took a corner of a clean sheet and tucked them under the mattress.

"I agree, but now that she knows, we need to tell her."

"Tell her what? How I was so against meeting you that I had to be bribed? She'll think I'm a monster."

"I wasn't any better. If it wasn't for my mom's stupid pact..."

Leah could no longer make out the conversation in the next room as the voices grew quieter. She pulled her ear away from the wall and rested her head on her pillow as she chastised herself for her actions. Of course they didn't find the sock until past her bedtime. She should have just asked them outright. Now she had to wait until morning, or more likely after school. She closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep. That night she dreamed a dirty sock was mocking her.

xxx

"Did you have fun at school today?" Amy asked Leah, Cadence, and Dylan as they piled into the backseat.

"Not as much fun as feeding the pigs with Grandpa Wyatt," Dylan sulked.

"Or gathering eggs in the chicken coop," Cadence added.

"Leah, what about you? Were you glad to be back?" Amy asked, as her daughter clicked her seatbelt.

"It was fine."

"Everything okay, Monkey?"

Leah nodded yes but didn't elaborate, and Amy didn't press. She pulled away from the curb and headed home. Cadence and Dylan continued chattering about their Nebraska trip. Leah periodically interjected a couple of words but spent most of the ride staring out the window. Amy occasionally stole glances in the rearview mirror. Leah had also been unusually quiet this morning. In her rush to get the kids to school on time, she hadn't been too concerned, chalking it up to lack of sleep, but now her mother's intuition was telling her something was off.

"I wanna feed Giuseppe!" Dylan announced the moment they stepped into the Cooper house.

Leah wordlessly led the way to the kitchen. She handed the little boy a container of fresh chopped veggies and trailed behind him and Cadence to the aquarium.

Amy poked her head into the living room. "Leah, may I see you in the kitchen?"

Leah took a seat at the table across from her mom and waited.

"You've been awfully quiet today. Did you and Cadence have a fight?"

"No."

"Did something happen at school?"

"No."

"Are you coming down with something?"

"No, Mommy."

"Then please tell me what's on your mind."

Leah squared her shoulders and bore her eyes into her mom's. "Why didn't you and Daddy tell me about the dirty sock?"

"Oh, Monkey. I hope you haven't been obsessing about it this whole time."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I know I promised we'd talk about it today, but I think it's best if we wait until Auntie Penny picks up Cadence and Dylan and Daddy gets home."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise. Now how about some cookies and milk? We still have a few double stuff Oreos," Amy remarked, as she placed six cookies onto a small yellow plate.

Leah returned to the living room silently watching as her friends peered at her pet through the glass.

Dylan turned as her footsteps grew nearer. "Giuseppe reminds me of Mr. Oinks."

Leah wrinkled her brow. "Who's that?"

"My grandpa's pig. I told you about him in the car."

"Oh. Right." Leah paused then added, "My mom's getting after-school snacks ready."

Cadence licked her lips. "Is it her yummy double fudge brownies?"

"Not today."

"Aww!" The Hofstadter kids whined as they followed their host to the kitchen.

Amy set the plate and three glasses of milk on the table. Three tiny hands reached for a cookie simultaneously. She observed the trio, noting that Leah, though quieter than usual, was a little more talkative than she was a few minutes earlier. There was no way around it. They would have to tell Leah about the sock to give her some peace of mind. After cookies and milk were consumed, Leah led her friends back to the living room.

When Penny arrived an hour later, Amy flung open the door, and the two women embraced.

"How was Nebraska?"

"Better than North Dakota!" Penny quipped. "Seriosly though, it was so good to see my family again, and the kids had fun helping my dad with chores. They didn't even care that it was only 40 degrees outside. I hid in the house the whole time. The California sun has made me soft."

Amy chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you had a good time. I missed you."

"Missed you too. How was your Thanksgiving?"

"Oh, you know, just your normal run of the mill family holiday with my mom criticizing my parenting," Amy replied as they headed for the kitchen. She offered her friend a seat at the table.

"Ames, I'm sorry."

"That was only the beginning. Hang on. I'm going to check on the kids." Amy peeked into the living room, noting that the three children were lying on their bellies on the floor watching cartoons, then tiptoed back out.

"Okay, they're busy." She took her seat and continued. "Leah found the sin closet, which caused me to have a night terror for the first time in nine years."

"Aww! Sweetie, you should have called me."

"Thanks, Bestie, but I didn't want to ruin your vacation. Besides, Sheldon and Leah helped me through it."

"Wasn't Leah scared?"

"Very much so. In fact, she was so scared that she called 911. They sent two police officers over because the dispatcher misunderstood the conversation and thought Sheldon was abusing me!"

"Sheldon wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"It took me 20 minutes and lifting up my nightgown to prove that to them, and before you ask, I only lifted it a little past my knees."

Penny's eyes widened. "Man, I missed all the excitement."

"Wait, there's more." Amy lowered her voice. "Raj told Leah about the dirty sock.

"Dirty sock?" Penny wrinkled her nose.

"You know, the one the guys bribed Sheldon with when they signed him up for online dating?"

"Oh! Right! How did Leah handle it?"

"She doesn't know much, but she was so bothered by it that she hardly said a word this morning and again when I picked the kids up from school. Sheldon and I need to tell her something about it tonight." Amy cocked her ear towards the window. "Speaking of Sheldon, it sounds like the guys just pulled up."

Penny pushed her chair back from the table. "I'll round up my young'uns," she furrowed her brow then added, "as my dad would say."

"Leonard, you're only an experimental physicist. I don't expect you to understand," Sheldon's voice sounded from the foyer as the front door opened.

"Sheldon..." Amy warned, from the top of the stairs.

"But Leonard started it."

"I don't care who started it; I'm ending it."

Sheldon grumbled as he climbed the stairs then softened as he pecked his wife on the cheek.

"Hi Leonard. Penny's rounding up the young'uns," she giggled.

Sheldon shuddered. "Oh dear Lord! I get enough hillbilly talk from my family."

"Hello to you too, Sheldon," Penny greeted from behind her friend. "Don't make me go all Nebraska on your a..." Three sets of children's eyes widened. "...butt," she amended.

While Leonard helped Dylan tie his shoes, the women embraced again.

"See you tomorrow morning, Bestie."

"Bye Ames, Sheldon. Bye Leah!" Penny waved as the Hofstadter clan followed Leonard out the door.

"Bye, Buddy!"

Cadence ran back and hugged Leah tight. "I hope you feel better tomorrow!"

"Leah, are you sick?" Sheldon asked the moment he shut the door.

"I already told Mommy I'm not sick."

"Then why did Cadence say she hopes you feel better?"

"Let's go to the library and have a family discussion," Amy suggested.

"No!" Leah shouted.

Sheldon placed his hands on his hips. "Leah, that's no way to speak to your mother."

"Sorry," the little girl mumbled.

Amy knelt down to her daughter's eye level. "Leah, I thought this was what you've been waiting for. Don't you want to hear about the dirty sock?"

"I do, but I want to be in the living room."

"Why?"

"It's just where I pictured we'd be."

"Fine. We'll do it in the living room," Amy agreed.

Leah followed her mom down the hall, leaving Sheldon standing by the door. "Wait, we're doing this now?" He asked.

"Now is as good a time as any," his wife called over her shoulder.

Instead of her usual spot on the couch, Leah dragged the ottoman to the coffee table and sat facing her parents. She needed to see every facial expression and every gesture.

Amy cleared her throat. "Let's start by answering any questions you have."

"How did it all begin with a dirty sock?"

"I guess we're diving right in," Amy murmured. She slid her double helix charm along its chain then dropped it as she felt Leah's eyes bore into her. Her hand migrated over to her husband's. "Sheldon? Do you want to start?"

He looked down at their entwined fingers then up at his daughter. "Uncle Leonard, Uncle Howard, Uncle Raj, and I were bouncing laser beams off the moon on the roof of the Los Robles apartment when I noticed it."

"The sock?"

"Yes. It was so disturbing. Uncle Leonard told me to relax, but relax and dirty sock don't belong in the same sentence. I can still see it as if it were yesterday. Curse this eidetic mind." He tightened his grip on Amy's fingers, and she squeezed back.

"When we met, Daddy told me about the sock. I admitted I also had an aversion to soiled hosiery. It was one of the many things we had in common. Then Daddy asked to buy me a beverage, and we spent the rest of the afternoon..."

"Pr'evening," Sheldon interjected.

"We spent the rest of the _pr'evening_ getting to know each other. And that's the story of our first date."

Leah pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "That's it? Why didn't you tell me before?"

Amy reached her free hand across the coffee table and patted her daughter's knee. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but now you know."

Leah looked unconvinced they had told her the whole story but decided to drop the subject. What was the pact? How did this make her dad sound like a monster? They were hiding something, but why? She needed to get her hands on that diary.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thank you all again for your favorites, follows, reviews, likes, and reblogs. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Leah's mind drifted as her teacher droned on about the earth's continents and oceans. She had learned about them when she was two years old, and because of Fun With Flags, she was also aware of where every country in the world fell on the map. Her classes were pointless. She wished her dad had been successful in convincing her mom to skip grades. The only reason she didn't put up a fight was because she'd have to leave Cadence behind.

Leah looked over to her right to see her best friend facing the front of the class, appearing to hang onto their teacher's every word. Though Cadence was intelligent, she was, at most, a fifth grade level compared with Leah's high school level.

"Leah? Leah!"

She snapped to attention as Miss Banitt called on her. "I'm sorry, can you repeat the question?"

"Which ocean touches Africa's western border?"

Leah had always been able to suppress the urge to roll her eyes and answer snarkily, but this time she failed. "The Atlantic Ocean."

Miss Banitt narrowed her eyes. "Leah, that is correct, but please watch your body language and tone of voice." She turned her attention to the next student. "Colton, which continent is the only one that doesn't touch another?"

"Umm... Hawaii?" The boy guessed.

Leah snorted and shook her head in disbelief. Miss Banitt gave her a warning look then redirected her gaze to Colton. "I'm sorry, Colton. While it's true Hawaii doesn't touch another land mass, it's a state not a continent. Please try again."

"I don't know... Europe?"

"I'm afraid not. You can do this, Colton." Miss Banitt offered him an encouraging smile.

The little boy squirmed in his seat. "Africa?"

Leah's hand shot up. Before the teacher could acknowledge her, she intervened. "How could anyone not know this? There are actually two. The answer is Australia _and_ Antarctica."

Colton was simultaneously relieved at being let off the hook and mortified that his classmate gave the answer so easily when he had blindly guessed.

"Leah, in the future, please wait to be addressed before shouting out the answer."

"Sorry, Miss Banitt."

As the teacher continued asking her classmates questions, Leah's mind drifted off again. She was wasting her time here. She supposed she could spend the rest of the class devising a plan to get her parents out of the house for a long period of time so she could look at the diaries. She stared out the window, tapping her pencil to her chin. When inspiration did not strike, she began writing a list of topics to search for in the diaries.

1\. Dirty sock

2\. Breakup

3\. Emotionless robot

A shadow fell over her desk. She started scribbling out the items. The graphite hid the underlying words well, but she didn't have enough time to cover everything.

Miss Banitt picked up the notebook and squinted at the mostly hidden text. "Leah, please focus on the lesson," the teacher instructed.

"Sorry," Leah mumbled. She stared at the front of the room for the remainder of the class.

When the students began filing out for recess, Miss Banitt motioned for Leah to remain in her seat. Cadence raised her eyebrows and Leah shrugged. The teacher escorted the young Hofstadter out of the room, shut the door, and took a seat next to Leah.

"Leah, I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your classmates, but what you did earlier was very disrespectful."

The little girl hung her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have directed my irritation against you. You're only following the curriculum. It's just that I already know all this stuff. I'm not being challenged."

"Leah, I realize that you are extremely intelligent, but it's not like you to act this way, and you seemed withdrawn yesterday. Other than not feeling challenged, are you doing alright?" When Leah hesitated, Miss Banitt pressed, "Is everything okay at home?"

The little girl paused then nodded slowly.

The teacher appeared unconvinced but changed tactics. "I see you wrote something about robots."

Leah licked her lips and gave a cursory glance towards the notebook. "Yes."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"Not really."

"How is it related to a sock?"

"I don't know."

Miss Banitt sighed. "I want to help you, but you're not making this easy. If you ever need someone to talk to, don't be afraid to come to me with any concerns, okay?"

"Okay. Am I in trouble?"

"Since this is the first time you've acted out, I won't punish you."

"May I be excused now?"

"Yes, of course. You still have a few minutes for recess."

Miss Banitt kept a close watch on Leah for the remainder of the morning. Although there were no other incidents, as soon as the children left the classroom for lunch, she dialed the girl's mother.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Fowler-Cooper? This is Miss Banitt, Leah's teacher."

"Is she okay? Did she slip off the monkey bars again?" Amy panicked.

"No, nothing like that. She's physically fine. I didn't mean to alarm you."

"Oh, thank goodness! Wait, what do you mean she's _physically_ fine? Is she being verbally bullied?"

"Not as far as I can tell. No, the reason I called is because I'm concerned about Leah's disrespectful attitude. I let her off with a warning as this was her first offense, but I fear a repeat performance."

Amy pulled her double helix charm out from beneath her shirt and slid it back and forth along its chain. "What did she do exactly?"

"She rolled her eyes and answered me in a condescending voice when I called on her during our geography lesson. Then when another student struggled to come up with an answer, she arrogantly supplied it."

"Oh my goodness! That doesn't sound like my Leah. I'm not saying you're lying, I just can't believe what could have triggered that sort of behavior."

"She complained that she wasn't being challenged, though like I said, this is the first time she's acted out this way. Can you think of anything that may have upset her recently?"

"I'm not sure if this is related or not, but my husband and I have noticed she's been asking a lot of peculiar questions over the last month. Some of them we've traced back to conversations she's had with or overheard from our friends, but others remain a mystery."

"May I ask what sort of peculiar questions?"

Amy hesitated. How much was she willing to divulge? Would talking to someone outside their social circle help her gain insight?

"Dr. Fowler-Cooper? Hello? Are you still there?"

"I'm sorry, and please call me Amy. Dr. Fowler-Cooper is a mouthful."

"Alright, Amy it is. I don't mean to invade your privacy, but if you feel like sharing..."

"I think I should discuss this with my husband first."

"Yes, of course. I understand. There's one more thing I want to bring up."

"What is it?"

"Leah spent much of the morning staring out the window, but at one point she wrote some words in her notebook then attempted to cross them out completely when I approached her. I was only able to make out two words."

"Please tell me they weren't curse words."

"No, nothing like that," she reassured. "Do the words 'sock' and 'robot' mean anything to you?" When she was met with silence, Miss Banitt spoke again. "I'm sorry for prying. You don't have to explain anything."

Amy took in a deep breath. "I apologize for Leah's behavior today. My husband and I will sit her down tonight and make sure it doesn't happen again. Thank you for letting me know."

xxx

Penny and Amy sat down to a cup of tea while the children played Boggle in the game room after school.

"Ames, you're awfully quiet today. Is everything okay?"

Amy held up her index finger then peeked into the game room. Satisfied they were occupied, she tiptoed back to the kitchen.

"Miss Banitt called me today. Apparently Leah's behavior was unusual," she murmured.

"Unusual how?"

Amy relayed the message the teacher had told her and added, "I haven't mentioned it to Leah yet. I want to discuss the issue with Sheldon first to make sure we're on the same page before talking to her. When the guys get here, would you mind watching the kids so I can speak with him privately outside?"

"Of course, Sweetie. Take all the time you need. I'm planning on throwing a frozen pizza in the oven, so don't worry about keeping me away from cooking duty."

"Thanks, Bestie."

The two women continued chatting about their day as they sipped tea. The moment she heard the car pull into the driveway, Amy excused herself and raced out to meet Sheldon before he even reached the steps.

"Amy, what's wrong?"

The biologist stopped to catch her breath. "Leah..." she huffed out.

"What about Leah? Is she okay?" Sheldon's long legs strode past her to the steps.

Amy reached for his arm. "She's fine. Penny's watching her."

"Then what's going on?"

Leonard approached the couple. "Hi, Amy. Everything okay?" He asked with concern.

"It will be. I just want to speak with Sheldon before he goes in."

"I'll go in and check on Penny."

When they were alone, Amy took a seat on the top step and patted the spot next to her. As soon as Sheldon was settled, she recounted the story again.

He snorted. "I knew we should have let her skip ahead. Her mind is way too advanced for those classes."

"For now, let's just focus on the fact that her behavior was unacceptable. The fact that she's too advanced is no excuse. We've taught her to be respectful of others, so I'm very disappointed."

"Did you talk to her?"

"No." She took his hand and squeezed. "I wanted to wait until we could do it together."

"Good."

"Something else Miss Banitt said makes me wonder if Leah acted out today because she's upset."

"What could she be upset about? She's the smartest student in her class, probably even the whole school."

"Sheldon, I know it might be difficult for you to grasp, but there's more to life than intelligence." He scowled but allowed her to continue. "She told me Leah wrote something in a notebook instead of paying attention to the class but crossed most of it out before she could read it."

"Was it physics related?"

"I don't think so. The only words she could make out were 'sock' and 'robot'."

"Well, robotics and physics are related. I suppose if it was lifelike enough, a robot could be wearing socks."

"I don't think that's it. My first thought was 'dirty sock' and 'emotionless robot'."

"We already told her about the sock."

"Yes, but I think we underestimated her emotional intelligence. I believe she realizes there's more to the story than what we told her and is subconsciously projecting a superiority complex using knowledge of her school subjects as a way to maintain balance between what she knows and her internal struggle of not having the answers to everything."

"Is this based on scientific proof or just speculation?"

"It's just a theory. We can test it by coming clean to her. If her behavior improves..."

"We can't tell her all the details." He pleaded. "If she knows I was bribed to meet you, what if she thinks less of me?"

"She won't," Amy promised.

"How can you be so sure?"

"That was a long time ago. She knows we're together because we want to be." When he opened his mouth to protest, she continued. "We don't have to do it tonight, but I do want to address her behavior."

xxx

After dinner, instead of getting up to load their dishes in the dishwasher as they normally did, Sheldon and Amy remained rooted to their seats.

Leah eyed her parents suspiciously. "May I be excused?"

"We need to speak with you first," Amy announced.

"About what?"

"Your teacher called me this afternoon. She said you were being disrespectful. Is it true you rolled your eyes at her?"

Leah hung her head. "Yes."

"That's my girl!"

"Sheldon!"

"What? Maybe now the school will realize they need special programs. I know exactly how Leah feels. I felt the same way until my mother allowed me to skip grades."

"Let's get back to discussing Leah's attitude first." She turned her attention back to her daughter. "Leah, I know your classes are too easy for you, but rolling your eyes at another person, especially an authoritative figure, is very disrespectful. Please promise us you will never do that again."

Leah looked to her dad for confirmation. He nodded in agreement. "I promise. Can I go to my room to read now?"

"Not yet. Miss Banitt also told me about the sock and robot."

Leah picked up her fork and twirled it around her fingers, keeping her eyes on the utensil.

"Leah, please look at us when we're talking to you."

Leah sighed and set the fork back on her plate slowly. She peered at her mom through her thick eyelashes. "I was bored, so I wrote some words to help pass the time."

"Why those particular words?" Sheldon asked.

The little girl squirmed in her seat.

Amy lay her hand on her daughter's much smaller one. "Monkey, you know you can tell us anything."

"I need to know..." she trailed off.

"Need to know what?" Amy pressed.

"Nothing. Can I go read now if I promise not to be disrespectful again?"

"Tomorrow your teacher will most likely talk about subjects you already know, so how can you promise you'll behave?" Amy asked.

"I'll do what I've always done. I'll suffer in silence."

Sheldon stood up abruptly. "That is unacceptable!"

"Sheldon!"

"I cannot sit by idly while my daughter suffers through yet another boring class instead of expanding her brilliant mind!"

Amy gently placed her hand on his arm and subtly motioned with her head towards Leah, who was staring at him wide eyed.

He slowly sat down again. "I'm sorry for my outburst," he mumbled. "I just want you to have the best education possible."

"I know, Daddy. Maybe we can talk about me skipping grades again?" Leah asked hopefully.

"Leah, we've been over this before. I don't think skipping grades right now is in your best interest. How about if Daddy and I talk with your teacher to try finding a solution?"

"Okay. May I be excused now?"

When they both nodded yes, she slid off her chair, picked up her plate and utensils, and placed them neatly in the dishwasher. They watched as she retreated to her room then began cleaning up.

Leah sat against her pillows, hugging her plush monkey to her chest. She berated herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. Now they would be watching her every move. She had planned on retrieving the black diary from beneath the brown couch but couldn't risk getting caught with it.

She tugged the red diary out from beneath her mattress and flipped through the pages. Her mom hadn't been allowed to skip grades either and was incredibly intelligent. Maybe she had written down ways she kept herself occupied in class. Her eyes skimmed over the pages but found nothing, so she continued where she had left off.

 _February 5, 1991_

 _Miss Baines caught me in the hall before the morning bell rang. She asked if I'd had the chance to speak with Mother regarding the possibility of me helping out in the library after school. I told her I hadn't but that I planned on doing it soon. The truth is I still feel very uncomfortable discussing anything with Mother after the past weekend. She appeared to be in a better mood today, but I think I'll wait until the tension completely disappears._

Leah slipped the diary back in its hiding place. There was somewhat of a parallel between what she was experiencing now with her parents and what her mom had experienced with Grandma Joan, but the tension here was to a much lesser extent. She would wait until they were satisfied she would no longer cause trouble at school before broaching the subject of allowing her to stay home alone. The mysteries of the dirty sock and emotionless robot would have to wait.

xxx

Amy crawled into bed next to her husband. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips before flicking off her light switch. "Goodnight."

"Night."

They lay on their backs in the darkened room for a couple of minutes before Sheldon broke the silence. "Amy?"

"Hmm?"

He turned his head to face her. "I really think you should reconsider allowing Leah to skip grades."

"Sheldon, I'm not having this argument with you again. I want Leah to be with children her own age. You skipped grades, and you had nothing in common with your classmates and no friends."

"You didn't skip ahead, and you didn't have any friends either."

Amy sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that Leah does have friends. I don't want to alienate her from them, especially Cadence."

"Maybe Leonard and Penny would let her skip ahead too. She doesn't have our superior Cooper-Fowler genes, but she is the second smartest in their class."

"The last time you mentioned it, they were adamant about keeping her at her grade level. I really doubt they changed their minds. And I'm still not budging either. We can rediscuss it when she gets to middle school."

"But, Amy, she's wasting her life away."

"Like I said earlier, we can talk to her teacher. Maybe we can come up with something we can all agree on."

"I'm open to that, but if we can't reach a decision..."

"Then we'll think of something else. Let's get some sleep." She rolled onto her side, her back to him.

"Are you mad at me? We promised each other we would never go to bed angry."

"I'm not mad, Sheldon. Just really tired. I promise."

"I believe you." He kissed the top of her head then curled up against her side and draped his arm over her waist. He waited until her breathing slowed before closing his eyes and drifting off into a dream-filled sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Amy jumped at the sound of a familiar triple knock at her lab door.

"Amy! Amy! Amy!"

She tore her eyes from the data on her screen and consulted her watch. "Sheldon, it's not quite noon yet. Is everything okay?"

"It will be."

"What are you talking about?"

He stepped into the room, shuddered slightly upon seeing the pigeons in their cages, and stayed rooted to his spot. "I scheduled an appointment with Miss Banitt over the noon hour. We need to leave now to ensure we don't get caught in lunch hour traffic."

"Sheldon! We're a team. We need to discuss situations like this before we take action."

"I just can't put this off any longer. Not only is this affecting Leah, it's affecting my work too. I couldn't concentrate on my lesson plan today. I almost told my students the CERN super collider was in Sweden." He shook his head in disgust.

"Can't we at least wait until Monday? I'd like to formulate a plan first."

"If we wait, Leah is going to have to suffer longer than she has to."

"Sheldon, a few more days won't make much difference."

"I disagree. On February 14, 1876, Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell both applied for a patent of the telephone. Because Mr. Bell's lawyer reached the patent office sooner, he was credited with the invention."

"What does this have to do with Leah?"

"Time is of the essence. Think about what Mr. Gray missed out on in just a matter of hours. With Leah we're talking days."

"This is different. Leah's not applying for a patent."

"And she never will without the proper knowledge and skills. We need to leave now or we'll be late. Chop chop!"

Amy sighed. She removed her lab coat, slipped into her jacket, and dug her purse out of her desk drawer then glared at Sheldon as he grinned triumphantly.

"How did you manage to get a same-day meeting with her?" She asked as she backed her car out of her assigned spot in the Caltech parking lot.

"I may have told her that if she couldn't make time to see us, I would speak with her superiors about her lack of teaching skills."

She slammed on the brakes. "You didn't!"

Sheldon automatically placed his hand over his heart. "Amy!

"Sorry." She removed her foot from the brake and gently eased the car the rest of the way out.

They drove two blocks in silence before Amy spoke again. "Sheldon, what do you hope to accomplish from this meeting?"

"I want Leah to actually obtain an education."

"I know, but do you have any ideas on how to accomplish that without having her skip grades?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Can I hear them?" She asked when he didn't elaborate.

"Of course, but you'll have to wait until we discuss it with Miss Banitt. I'm not going to repeat myself."

"I'm regretting leaving the comfort of my lab with every passing second," she mumbled to herself.

xxx

Amy straightened her skirt as they approached Leah's classroom. She twisted her rings then slid her double helix charm along its chain. "Sheldon, I think we should reschedule. I'm not ready."

"We can't leave now." He stepped up to the door and performed his signature triple knock. "Miss Banitt! Miss Banitt! Miss Banitt!"

"Come in!" The young woman called out.

Amy reached for her husband's hand as they strode through the door. The last time they visited the school was during parent/teacher conference six weeks earlier when Leah was happily working on her science fair project. If the students could select a project for every class, they would not be in the predicament they were in now, she thought to herself.

Sheldon led her over to the back wall that was lined with colored paper featuring mini stories written by each of the students. He started at the top left, grimacing as he read the first two. "My vocabulary was far superior to this when I was in diapers."

Amy attempted to pull him towards the teacher who was eyeing them warily from the front of the classroom. "Not everyone is as gifted as you. Come on. Let's get this over with," she whispered.

"Hang on." He scanned the wall until he came across the familiar sight of his daughter's handwriting. "Now that's a story worthy of placing on one's wall," he proclaimed, the pride evident in his voice.

He reluctantly tore his eyes away when she tugged him so hard he stumbled sideways, nearly knocking her over.

Miss Banitt extended her hand as they reached her desk. "Hello, Amy..."

Sheldon's eyes widened. "Are you going to let her speak to you like that?"

"It's okay, Sheldon. I asked her to call me Amy. It's much quicker to say than Dr. Fowler-Cooper."

"You've earned your degree. Not addressing you as doctor is very disrespectful." He turned his attention to the teacher. "Much more disrespectful than my daughter rolling her eyes in a class she could teach herself. You will address my wife by her rightful title."

"Sheldon..."

Miss Banitt held up her hands in surrender. "I'm terribly sorry, Dr. Cooper. I didn't mean to sound disrespectful towards your wife."

"You didn't. However, to make everyone comfortable, I wouldn't object to being referred to as Dr. Cooper," Amy suggested.

"Dr. Cooper it is," the young woman agreed.

"And I would like to also apologize for cutting into your lunch time."

Miss Banitt waved her comment off then gestured towards the two chairs she had pulled up in front of her desk. When they took their seats, she looked at Sheldon. "Dr. Cooper, from your frantic message on the phone this morning, I gather you are unhappy with Leah's learning environment."

"Unhappy is an understatement. My daughter is wasting her time in these remedial classes. She's not learning anything new."

"I understand Leah is an exceptionally bright..."

"Bright? Our daughter is not _bright_ , she is brilliant!"

Amy lay her hand on his knee bouncing knee. "Sheldon, please let her continue," she begged.

He looked down at her hand then covered it with his own, entwining his fingers with hers in a death grip.

Miss Banitt cleared her throat. "As I was saying, I understand Leah is... brilliant, but per protocol, I need to follow the school's curriculum."

"Protocol!" Sheldon snorted.

Amy sent an apologetic look to the other woman. "I'm sorry. My husband takes education very seriously, maybe a little too seriously. Sheldon, how about sharing your ideas."

"Alright." He eased his grip slightly. "Miss Banitt, since the school is reluctant to forgo its current curriculum and Leah already knows the material, how would you feel about her writing the tests?"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Cooper. All testing in the Pasadena-area public schools is controlled by the county. I am given a group of questions to choose from."

He turned to his wife. "That's where we went wrong, by sending her to public school. We need to look into private schools. It's not like we can't afford it."

"Sheldon..."

"Leonard and Penny can afford to send their kids too, so you don't have to worry about Leah not knowing anyone."

"That's not what I was getting at. I think this is something we need to discuss at home. What are your other ideas?"

"How about if Leah walks around the class as they work on their assignments and corrects them?"

"Sheldon, I don't think that would go over very well. Leah has been lucky to not get bullied by her classmates. If they realize just how intelligent she is, that will all change. You know first-hand how that works." She addressed the teacher again. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"Don't worry about it. If it makes you feel any better, Leah hasn't acted out so far today."

Amy breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. We sat her down last night, and she promised to behave."

"She did," Sheldon agreed, "but that brings us back to her education. She said she would suffer in silence during her classes. That is completely unacceptable. It is pointless for her to sit here day after day when she could be expanding her mind."

"Dr. And Dr. Cooper, I would love to help Leah out in any way I can without overstepping my bounds. If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear them."

Sheldon furrowed his brow then beamed. "I've got it! Well, at least part of the answer. We can pre-record some special Fun with Flags episodes for you to play in the classroom during your geography lessons. It will keep both Leah and the other students engaged. She won't be bored, and they will have so much fun that they won't even realize they're learning."

"Sheldon, that's a wonderful idea!" Amy praised. "Miss Banitt, would this be overstepping your bounds?"

The teacher rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "The students did seem fascinated when Leah presented that short video of your show for show and tell. I'll have to run it by Principal Sutton first."

The squeak of tennis shoes on the vinyl floor alerted them to someone's presence. "Run what by Principal Sutton? Am I in trouble?"

The Coopers twisted around in their seats to find their daughter staring at them wide eyed.

"Am I in trouble?" The little girl repeated in a trembling voice.

"No, Monkey," Amy reassured her. She disentangled her fingers and met her daughter at the door. "Daddy and I came to see your teacher to try finding a solution to your boredom."

"Really?"

Sheldon strode over. "Really. Actually it was my idea to come. Mommy was hesitant..."

Amy silenced him with a look then bent down to her daughter's eye level. "Leah, Miss Banitt is going to discuss something with Principal Sutton. If he agrees to the plan, we'll have a solution to one of your classes."

"What is it?"

Sheldon touseled her hair. "We don't want to get your hopes up in case it doesn't work out."

"Okay."

"Leah, was there something I can help you with?" Miss Banitt asked.

"I just came in for paper and a pen. Cadence and I want to draw a map of the school yard. Then we'll turn it into a treasure map." She extracted the items from her desk, hugged her parents tightly, then waved to the trio before fleeing out the door in search of her friend.

Amy waved until Leah was out of sight then faced the teacher again. "We should go too so you have time to eat your lunch."

"Hang on! I want to wait for the kids to come back so we can observe them."

Miss Banitt frowned. "Why?"

"To see what we're up against. We'll need to tailor our presentations according to their level of understanding."

"Sheldon, we don't even know if this is something the school will be in favor of. Besides, your own students will be waiting for you if we don't leave now."

He consulted his watch. "Oh dear, Lord! I'm going to be late."

As he raced for the door, Amy thanked the teacher for her time then scurried into the hall to catch up with her husband who was already halfway to the exit.

xxx

During her nightly rituals, Leah tried to draw out the solution to her classroom situation from her parents, but their lips were sealed. After they tucked her in and retired to the living room, she pulled the red diary out of its hiding place.

 _February 6, 1991_

 _I finally worked up the courage to ask Mother about the library. I was pleasantly surprised when she smiled and said she thought it was a wonderful idea. Then I realized why. Now she wouldn't have to worry about another teenage girl 'ruining' my sheltered world with music and fashion and who knows what else. I'm not going to point that out to her though, and I'm not going to dwell on it. We will both be happy, and for now that's enough._

 _Tonight she made my favorite dessert - chocolate walnut brownies. Then we watched Little House on the Prairie together. I think she's trying to make it up to me for the last four days. It will take more than brownies and my favorite show for me to forgive her, but at least she's trying._

Leah tucked the book back into place and pondered her fate. Maybe she could also work in the school library but during class time, not after school. Could that be what her parents already had in mind? She was gifted, but she wasn't a mind reader. She snuggled under her comforter and closed her eyes hoping the answer would surface soon.


	20. Chapter 20

Leah tossed and turned all night as possibilities for solutions to her learning dilemma and the thought of the black still diary hidden under the brown couch swirled in her mind. There wasn't much she could do about the former, but when the coast was clear, she needed to return the diary to its rightful place and find the one she hoped existed that mentioned the dirty sock.

At 5 a.m. she threw the covers aside, padded to her bedroom door with her booklight, and listened. Hearing nothing she pushed her door open just enough to squeeze through. She paused in the hall. Still no sounds from her parents' room. She had an hour. Plenty of time to return the diary. She tiptoed to the library and paused again. The Cooper house remained quiet. Breathing a sigh of relief, she lay down on her belly in front of the couch and stretched her arm as far as humanly possible. Her fingertips barely brushed the diary. She got up and went around to the back. Again she was barely able to touch the book.

Sighing in frustration she shone the booklight around the darkened room, looking for something she could use as a tool to reach the diary. Finding nothing she crept down the hall towards the broom closet.

"Leah, is that you?"

Leah whirled around to find her mom squinting at her. "Sorry, Mommy. I couldn't sleep."

"Oh, Monkey! Is this about your classes?"

Leah fidgeted. "Yes."

"Daddy and I are working with the school to find a solution. In the meantime, you have about 45 minutes to try getting in a little rest."

Leah followed Amy down the hall to her room willingly. She needed to be on her best behavior if she had any hope of her parents trusting her to stay home alone. Knowing she wouldn't get any sleep, she waited for her mom to tuck her in and return to her own room then pulled the red diary out from under her mattress.

 _February 11, 1991_

 _Today was my first day working in the library. It's a much different atmosphere after everyone's gone home, and not in the way I would have thought. After the last student left, Miss Baines locked the door. She took me to a little office tucked behind the counter and went over my duties. I will be placing the returned books back on the shelves. Okay, that doesn't sound very exciting on paper, but for me it's a dream come true. I already saw four books I want to check out that I may not have noticed otherwise._

 _When Miss Baines was satisfied that I knew what I was doing, she went back to her office to retrieve a tape recorder. My palms became sweaty, and my mouth felt like it was full of cotton. I looked around half expecting Mother to appear to haul me to the sin closet again. Miss Baines noted my distress right away. When she asked me if I was alright, I broke down and told her about Mother punishing me for listening to pop music._

 _She marched over to her office. I could hear her rummaging around in the tiny room. She returned with an unmarked cassette and smiled as she slipped in the tape. The moment she hit the play button and the first notes sounded, I couldn't believe my ears. The volume was not deafening but much louder than I would have expected from a quiet librarian. I thought maybe the volume control had been turned up accidentally, but Miss Baines made no move to turn it down. In fact, she began singing along as she grabbed the other cart stacked with books._

 _I listened carefully to the lyrics. It was about a young woman who was told she would find love, but she just had to be patient. When the song ended, Miss Baines turned the volume down to a whisper. I asked her what the previous song was. Her eyes widened in shock. It was then that she realized just how sheltered I've been. She told me she thought maybe Mother just disapproved of modern music with more daring lyrics. The song is called 'You Can't Hurry Love' by The Supremes. A song that came out in the '60s, and Phil Collins covered it in the early '80s._

 _I admitted I had never heard of either group before. Mother only lets me listen to Christmas carols and classical music. She said Mother can't control every aspect of my life. It wasn't like I had done anything wrong, that a girl my age should be able to listen to more than just two genres of music. When I told her Mother was livid that the song she caught me listening to was Papa Don't Preach, a look of understanding crossed her face. She said she could see why the lyrics may have upset her. I could tell she sensed my confusion, so I told her what I thought the song was about._

 _"Oh, Amy! Sometimes I forget you're only eight," were her exact words._

 _She hesitated then asked if I knew where babies came from. I nodded uncertainly. I mean, I know mothers give birth and somehow the father is involved, but every time I ask Mother about my father, she locks me in the sin closet without any explanation. I asked Miss Baines for clarification. She said she didn't want to overstep any bounds but that the school has a program for 5th and 6th graders that would explain it all. I would just need to be patient for another two years. Then she turned up the volume and sang along to the next song as we continued our duties._

 _Now she has me wondering what I'll be learning in two years. There has to be someone I can ask._

Leah set the diary on her lap. How did her mom not know where babies came from? Grandma Joan must have really kept her in the dark about everything. But why? What was so scary about fathers sharing their DNA? She bit her lip and thought back to the genetics textbooks she'd read. They all talked about the sperm joining with the egg, but how did it get there? Maybe she didn't know much more than her mom. Did her school have the same curriculum? She hoped she wouldn't have to wait two years to find out. Maybe there was something in one of the biology books in front of the diaries, or maybe she would just ask.

xxx

Amy heard a familiar triple knock on her lab door. She glanced at the clock on her monitor and couldn't believe it was already noon. "Come in!" She called as she saved the data she had been working on before the interruption.

Sheldon opened the door a crack and peeked at the counter. "Where are the pigeons?"

"In the next room. I moved them so I can do a deep cleaning in here this afternoon."

He visibly relaxed and stepped inside. "I've been checking my phone messages and emails all morning but still no word from the school about my lesson proposal. Have you heard anything?"

"I've been busy all morning and haven't had time to check."

"Check it now," he urged, coming to stand behind her. He towered over her seated form then hunched down to peer over her shoulder.

She pulled her phone from her purse. "Nothing yet, but it's only been 24 hours."

"Tomorrow's Friday. That doesn't leave us a lot of time to plan the videos before filming on Sunday. We should call them."

"Let's be patient."

Sheldon began pacing the room. "Patient? How can I be patient when our daughter probably spent the whole morning staring out the window again?"

Amy calmly removed her lab coat, draping it over the back of her chair. "One of us needs to be."

"I don't see how. You said yourself she was wandering the house this morning because of this."

"I did say that," she agreed.

"If I don't hear from them by 3 o'clock, I'll... I'll..."

Amy placed her hand on his arm. "You will be patient."

"You're asking me to do the impossible."

"How about this, if we don't hear from the school by noon tomorrow, we'll give them a call."

"It may be too late by then. I'm calling now."

"Sheldon..." Amy threw her hands up in the air as he whipped his phone out of his pocket and began dialing. She watched him pace as he waited for the line to pick up.

"Hello, Miss Banitt. This is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Leah's dad... Has the school made a decision about bringing Fun With Flags to the classroom?... Have you spoken with Principal Sutton?... I expect to hear a decision by the end of the school day... They better decide fast. We'll need the whole weekend to prepare and record..."

Sheldon tapped the disconnect button and sighed in frustration.

"What did she say?" Amy asked.

"Principal Sutton has to make some calls to the superintendent and the school board chair." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Why does one always have to go through hoops to get anything done?"

Amy rubbed soothing circles on his back. "It's no different than the university. Remember when you wanted to switch from string theory to dark matter?"

"My point exactly. There's no autonomy."

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I know you don't like it. To be honest I don't either, but there's nothing we can do about it. We should just be thankful they're willing to consider our proposal."

He snorted. "Are they really, or are they just humoring us?"

"I'd like to think they are considering it. Miss Banitt appeared to be supportive. We need to give them the benefit of the doubt." She slung her purse over her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go to lunch."

xxx

"Did anything interesting happen today?" Amy asked Leah and the Hofstadter children as she pulled away from the curb in front of the school.

"Cadence has some good news," Leah offered.

Cadence squirmed in her seat. "It's nothing special."

"Yeah, it is," Leah exclaimed. "Tell my mom."

Cadence picked an imaginary piece of lint off her pants. "Mrs. Sanchez, found out my mom was an actress, so she cast me as the lead role in the holiday pageant."

"That's amazing! Your mom and dad are going to be so proud of you, Cadence!"

"Yeah, well, Mrs. Culver asked the other kids to count to 20, but she asked me to count to 50. It's because I'm smarter than them," Dylan boasted.

Amy grinned at him in the rearview mirror. "That's great, Dylan! Your parents will be very proud to hear that. Leah, anything you'd like to share?"

"No."

"What's your part in the pageant?" Amy pressed.

"I'm one of the snowflake background singers."

"You'll make a beautiful snowflake! We'll go shopping for fabric this weekend."

"Okay," Leah agreed halfheartedly.

"You're not excited, Monkey?"

Leah shrugged. "It's fine. The pageant will be fun, but I just feel like I'm wasting my time in my other classes. I have so many questions, but the school doesn't address any of them."

"Daddy and I are still in negotiations with the school. In the meantime, you can ask us anything."

"Okay." The little girl took in a deep breath. "Where do babies come from?"

Amy frowned. "We've looked through the genetics books."

"We did, but they didn't explain everything. I know the sperm joins with the egg to form the zygote, but how does it get there? How did you and Daddy create me?"

Amy pulled onto the next side street and parked in front of a house. She turned off the engine, unbuckled her seatbelt, and twisted in her seat. "Did one of the older kids tell you something?"

Leah shook her head no.

Amy regarded her bestie's children and licked her lips. They stared back at her wide eyed. She turned her gaze back to her daughter. "I think we should wait to have this discussion."

"Why?"

"It's not something I'm ready to discuss right now."

"When will you be ready? In two to three years?"

"Leah, not now please," Amy responded through gritted teeth.

"Fine," she pouted.

The Hofstadter children looked down at their laps the remainder of the ride.

xxx

Amy snuggled into her husband under the covers. "I'm sorry the school hasn't contacted us yet, but we still have tomorrow," she whispered.

"What if they still don't respond?"

"We can still film the videos. If they shoot down your idea, we can use the segments to create a kid-friendly episode instead of our usual show for our YouTube channel."

"I like the idea, but it doesn't solve Leah's problem. My heart breaks for her thinking of all that time wasted. I would do anything for her."

Amy lifted her head from his chest and planted a soft peck on his lips. "You're a great dad, Sheldon. Leah is so lucky to have you."

He ran his hand along her arm soothingly. "And you're a wonderful mom, so she's doubly lucky to have us as parents."

Amy lowered her voice an octave. "Speaking of parenting, on the way home from school Leah posed an... I was going to say unusual question, but that word just doesn't feel right to describe it."

"What did she ask?"

"She wanted to know how the sperm gets to the egg to create a baby."

"Oh dear, Lord! What did you tell her?"

"I told her I didn't feel comfortable having the discussion yet." She raised her head slightly to look at him in the darkened room. "I knew parenting wouldn't be easy, but I hadn't anticipated subjects like this from an eight year old. She won't be learning sex ed in school for another two years."

"If we had let her skip grades, she would know all this."

"Not this again. Sheldon..."

"I'm just saying the school would have taken care of this for us."

"That would only work if we skip her ahead two grades. You skipped over those classes by going straight to high school. You had to learn about it the hard way, and even then, there was so much you didn't know that Leonard and Penny bought you that book."

He shuddered under her arm that was draped over his hips. "I had nightmares for months about that book."

"Exactly. We need to do this right so she gets the facts and isn't afraid of intimacy when she's old enough for it."

"You want to tell her now?" He asked incredulously.

"We'll need to do it soon. I'd rather she hear it from us than some misinformed 11 year old on the schoolyard."

"Amy, you don't suppose she already knows and is just testing us?"

"Why would she do that?"

"To see if we'll tell her the truth?"

"I never thought about that, but why now? Why today?"

"She probably has too much time to think during her classes. If the school doesn't contact us tomorrow, I'm going down there in person."

"Sheldon..."

"What would you rather she learn about - flags or the mysteries of conception?"

"If we don't hear from the school by noon tomorrow, I'll go down there with you."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I apologize for the long break since the last update. My goal is to update every two weeks, so I will try my best to keep on schedule.** **Thank you all again so much for your likes, favorites, and follows. They're what keep me going.**

Midafternoon on Friday Amy sorted through columns of data, compiling the relevant pieces into charts. She was so focused on her work that she almost didn't hear the frantic triple knock at her door.

"Just a minute!" She saved the document, locked her screen, and met her harried-looking husband at the door.

"The school finally called," he panted.

"I take it they shot down your idea?"

"Not exactly. Are you free to talk," he eyed the pigeon cages, "away from here?"

"Of course." She slipped out of her labcoat and locked the door behind them. "Break room okay?"

"Anywhere that doesn't have birds."

"Would you like some tea?" Amy offered when they entered the small room.

"I'm upset. Of course I want tea!" He sputtered. Then noting the look of surprise on his wife's face he meekly amended, "yes, please."

As Sheldon took a seat at the small round table, Amy pulled two mugs from the cupboard. She chose a generic 'I heart science' one for her husband and one that boldly stated 'HALF Neurobiologist, HALF Ninja' for herself from the odd assortment she and her colleagues had collected over the years.

"If the school didn't reject your proposal, why are you so upset?" She asked, as she placed a green tea bag in each mug.

He furtively glanced at the open door. Seeing no one, he turned back to her and sighed. "They said we could do a one-week trial."

"That's great!"

"No, it's not great. What if they decide after the week is over to go back to their boring lesson plan?"

"What if they love it and want to continue?" She countered.

"But what if they don't?"

Amy poured water into the mugs and placed each one in a microwave. "Sheldon, let's be grateful they're giving us a chance. If it doesn't work out, we'll come up with another plan."

"How are you always so optimistic?"

She shrugged. "One of us needs to be."

They sat sipping their beverages in companionable silence as one of the newest members of the neurobiology unit came in to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"That's my mug!" He commented jokingly.

Amy looked up. "Hi, Gabe. I should have known it was you who bought this. What does it even mean?"

"No idea!" He laughed. "I just thought it was fun."

Sheldon spun the mug around to read the quote. "Oh dear, Lord! Amy, you were right to question this. How does being a neurobiologist qualify one as a ninja?"

Gabe shrugged. "Like I said, I just thought it was fun. We need more of that around here. Everyone's always so serious."

"I should hope so!" Sheldon huffed. This is a prestiged university not a daycare center."

Amy placed her hand over her husband's. "Sheldon..."

"It's okay. I'm not offended. See you later, gators." Gabe downed his coffee then gave the couple a little wave as he stepped into the hall.

Sheldon shook his head. "How on earth did that man become a neurobiologist?"

"He's extremely intelligent. He was in the 90th percentile of his class."

"It's hard to imagine with that attitude," he grumbled.

"He likes having fun, but he has a serious side too. He's working on... It doesn't matter. You're probably not interested." She took a sip of her tea. "Getting back on topic, what were you thinking for our first lesson?"

"I suggested a brief overview of the 50 states for our first episode, but Miss Banitt is only giving us 30 minutes per episode. Not only that, she thought that would be too much information for the students to remember at their age." He shook his head in disgust. "Leah had all the state flags memorized when she was 3."

"We could start simple. How about just the California flag? It has a lot of history, and the bear might keep the children's interest."

"But that's just one flag! The show is called Fun with Flags," he grumbled, putting emphasis on the 's' in flags.

"Then we give a brief history of the US flag before discussing the California flag. Problem solved."

Sheldon mulled over the idea. "I suppose we could try it. I'll start working on the script tonight. Now _that's_ what I call fun, not some silly mug."

She reached across the table and patted his hand. "I can't wait."

xxx

After Penny picked up the kids, Amy breathed a sigh of relief. Next week was her bestie's turn to collect them from school. While she enjoyed the children's chatter on the drive home and in the house, she was grateful for the solitude of her lab on her weeks off.

Sheldon returned home shortly after with ingredients to make moo shu pork. He set the bag on the counter then pecked Amy on the lips and reached down to give his daughter a hug.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"How's my girl?"

"Happy it's Friday! Mommy's taking me to the fabric store tomorrow, and no boring classes for two days!" She pulled away slightly, her expression turning serious. "Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Have you and the school found a solution to my classroom situation?"

"I think we should all discuss it after dinner."

"Okay. May I read before we eat?"

Amy patted her daughter's shoulder. "Of course, Monkey. I found an express recipe, so you'll have about 20 minutes. Plan to be ready by 6:05."

Leah pulled a novel from her backpack and headed for the library. She set the book on the coffee table then cautiously peeked out into the hall. She could hear her parents talking and laughing as they prepared the meal together. Closing her eyes momentarily to gather courage, she quietly slipped out the door and tiptoed to the broom closet. She reached out, slowly turned the handle, and sighed in relief when the door didn't squeak. Her fingers grasped the broom handle, lifted it slightly off the floor, and pulled it into the hall.

Back in the library, Leah got down on her stomach, located the black diary, and pushed the broomhead under the couch. When it made contact with the diary, she carefully dragged it out. She quickly snatched it up and headed for the book ladder. As her left hand gripped the railing, the diary slipped from the fingers of her right hand. A dull thud sounded as the book hit the hardwood floor. Leah froze. She cocked her ear towards the hall. She could still hear her parents in the kitchen.

Satisfied, she bent down to pick up the diary which had fallen spine down, pages open, and gasped. The name 'Giuseppe' nearly popped off the page. That didn't even make sense. Giuseppe wouldn't have even been born for another five years, unless the pet shop and her parents lied about his age. She plopped down cross-legged on the floor and began to read.

 _March 5, 2015_

 _Sheldon and I decided today's the day to buy our turtle. I love the way that sounds - **our** turtle! We were so excited we made a big production out of it to Leonard and Penny. Sheldon even reached for my hand willingly. He's come a long way these past few months._

 _On the ride over, we discussed names. I suggested Shelly, but Sheldon pointed out it would be too confusing. He began listing superhero names until I told him that would be confusing too, maybe even more so. He was unconvinced, so I explained that if I were to say "I'll watch Green Lantern", he might think I'm interested in seeing a movie, not babysitting our pet. In the end we agreed to just keep thinking on the way there._

 _Unfortunately when we arrived, they had several puppies in an uncovered glass pen right next to the doorway. There was no way to avoid them. Sheldon hung onto my arm for dear life as we skirted around the pen. I'm glad it was easier to avoid the birds, though I wouldn't have minded more physical contact._

 _We examined the turtles and after some deliberation, we decided on one. Sheldon wanted to name him Giuseppe because he thought he looked Italian. I don't know how a turtle can look Italian, but Sheldon was so excited that I didn't want to argue about it. He talked to him like he was already ours, explaining our living arrangements to him. Then he dropped a bombshell on me. He said I would keep our pet full-time if his application to go to Mars was accepted..._

Leah set the diary on her lap. Mars? Why would her dad leave her mom to move to another planet? It sounded like something out of a science fiction novel. She bit her lip. What was her dad thinking... Her eyes widened as a thought came to her. Maybe her parents were onto her. Had they found out she was reading the diaries and planted some false information to make her ask questions, causing her to confess? That seemed too farfetched, but so did her mom's diary entry. Could this be the reason for their breakup? No, it couldn't be. A month later they had their fort sleepover. How could she find out the truth without being caught? She decided asking Auntie Penny was out of the question, as she told her mom everything. She sat pondering the possibilities until the grandfather clock chimed 6 o'clock.

Leah startled, scooped up the diary, stuffed it in her waistband, and covered it with her shirt. There was no time to return it now. She spun around the room looking for a good hiding place. She was not concealing it under the couch again after all she went through to retrieve it.

"Leah, dinner in three minutes!" Amy called out.

The little girl panicked. Not knowing what else to do, she slipped out of the library towards her room and shoved the diary with the red one under her mattress until she could devise a better plan.

xxx

Sheldon led the way to the library after the dishes were cleared. He gestured towards the couch, and Leah took a seat on the end cushion as her parents stood before her.

"Leah, we discussed a possible solution to your boredom with Miss Bannitt. After she spoke with the principal and he spoke with the superintendent, your school agreed to the plan," Sheldon informed her.

"What's the plan?" Leah asked skeptically.

He turned to his wife. "Would you like to tell her, or should I?"

"Let's say it together."

Sheldon reached for his wife's hand. She squeezed gently and gave him a small nod.

"We're doing Fun with Flags!"

Leah tilted her head curiously. "Huh?"

Sheldon took a step closer to his daughter. "We're going to record mini episodes of Fun with Flags for your geography class."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he confirmed.

Leah jumped off the couch and flung herself at him. "Thank you, Daddy!"

He bent down slightly and wrapped his arms around her. "Anything for my little girl."

"When does it start?"

"Next week. I should warn you, we were only given a one-week trial."

"Are you and Mommy going to record them all this weekend?"

"We'll have to. With your help, of course."

"I don't think I should be in the videos."

Sheldon held her at arms length so he could look at her. "Of course you should! You're an integral part of the show."

"But Daddy, I don't think the other kids will appreciate me teaching them. Miss Bannitt was very unhappy with me when I answered for Colton."

"This is different."

"I really think I should just be the student this time."

Sheldon dropped his arms from his daughter's shoulders then ran his hand down his face. "But the whiteboard has your name on it. I can't just erase your name."

"Sheldon, Leah's right. It will probably be for the best if just you and I do it."

"But the board..."

"We'll buy another one tomorrow to use especially for these lessons," Amy promised.

"But it's been the three of us ever since Leah's been old enough to talk."

Leah's eyes followed the conversation. When round three of the same arguments were voiced, she yelled, "please stop!"

Her mom jumped, and her dad's hand reflexively covered his heart.

"Don't fight! You're on the same team; we all are." She touched her dad's arm. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm not trying to upset you. I love doing Fun with Flags. It's one of my favorite family events, and I know you don't like change. I just really think I should be the student this time. If I'm part of the show, I'll know exactly what's going to happen. This will give me a chance to see something new in the classroom, even if I don't learn anything new."

Sheldon swallowed hard. "You're right. It won't be the same without you, but I... I guess we'll manage."

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Maybe to make it easier on you that I'm not participating, you can change the location to the living room instead of the library."

"Change the location?! How would that make it easier? We can't do that. I'm barely able to accept one change," he sputtered.

Leah tried again. "A new location for a new audience. Plus the living room has more color. Kids love colors."

"Sheldon, I think Leah's onto something. It's a known fact that color improves memory performance. You remember that study we read when Leah was a baby?"

"The Influence of Colour on Memory Performance: A Review."

"Exactly. Think about it. The more information the children retain, the more likely the school will consider our lessons a success, thereby..."

"Allowing us to continue," Sheldon concluded. "Confound it, you're right! You both are."

"Yay! And since you won't need the library, I'll stay in here with the door shut so I won't see or hear you."

"Why not your bedroom, Monkey?" Amy asked. "Wouldn't that be more comfortable?"

Leah shrugged. "I just think I'd rather spend time in here."

"I guess that would be alright. Sheldon, do you have any objections?"

"Why would I deprive her of the vast knowledge contained within these four walls?" He countered, indicating the floor-to-ceiling bookcases.

"When are you going to start taping? It's going to take awhile to film five episodes, especially if you use a lot of costumes and props," Leah pointed out.

"Oh, Monkey! Don't worry. We'll still spend time with you this weekend. I haven't forgotten about the fabric store."

Leah looked up thoughtfully towards the fourth shelf where the biology books hid the empty spaces of the two missing diaries. "It's okay. I'm sure I'll be so busy that the weekend will fly by."


	22. Chapter 22

Amy and Leah returned home after a morning of shopping, arms laden with bags. At her mother's urging, Leah headed for the bathroom to wash her hands as Amy set their purchases on the kitchen counter. She approached her husband who was in the zone hunched over at the table, his long, slender fingers typing furiously at his laptop and cautiously tapped his shoulder.

"Sheldon, have you eaten yet?"

He whirled around, his hand flying to his chest. "When did you get home?"

"Just now. Leah and I picked up takeout from New Delhi Palace - chicken tikka masala, basmati rice, samosas, and aloo gobi."

He looked up at the Batman clock, his eyes widening at the sight of the little hand at the 12 o'clock mark and the big hand at the 3. "Oh dear, Lord! We're due to start filming in 45 minutes!"

"That's why I brought food home. Leah's washing up as we speak. We'll have plenty of time to eat."

"But I'm still writing the script for our second episode!" He panicked. "It's not easy trying to dumb down my vocabulary."

"Sheldon..." she warned.

"Well, it's true. I had to pull up the thesaurus not once, not twice, not three times..."

"I get it," she interrupted. "I'm sorry you're having a difficult time." She massaged his shoulders, applying just the right amount of pressure as he slowly relaxed under her touch. "Why don't we get in some nourishment to fuel our brains, then we'll go over the scripts together?"

"Fine."

"Great," she kissed the top of his head then slipped over to the counter to unpack the containers.

Sheldon stared at his screen. "What kind of parent doesn't teach their children to be more articulate?" He mumbled.

"Is that for my classes?" Leah asked, startling Sheldon once again as she snuck up behind him, peering over his shoulder.

He quickly shut the laptop. "It is, but you can't see it until next week."

Leah giggled. "It's okay, Daddy. I didn't see anything."

"Good. Did you get everything you need for your costume?"

"Yep. The Pasadena store didn't have anything sparkly, so we had to go to the place in Glendale. Then we stopped at the Galleria."

"Did you go to the Lego Store?"

Leah looked down at her feet. "We did. I'm sorry we went without you, Daddy. I convinced Mommy to take me, but I bought you something to make up for it."

Sheldon watched as his daughter pulled a distinct yellow bag out of a larger nondescript one. She thrust it at him. "For you."

Sheldon accepted the bag and peered inside. "Is this from the new set?"

"Yep!" She watched as he extracted the three mystery minifigure packets. "I think that one's the robot," she informed him, pointing at the packet in question. "It felt like its head."

"Spoiler alert!"

"Sorry. I wanted to make sure we didn't get three of the same one, just like you taught me."

"I probably taught you a little too well."

"Speaking of teaching, Sheldon, we need to eat so we have time to peruse the scripts before we begin filming," Amy reminded him, as she cleared off a space on the table for the food.

"But the Lego… I need to know," he pouted.

"I suppose we could delay filming a few minutes…"

"Amy! We're on a tight schedule as it is." He turned his attention back to his daughter. "We'll open them tonight during commercials," he promised.

"Okay. I can be patient."

When the dishes were cleared, Leah asked to be excused.

"Monkey, are you sure you don't want to spend the afternoon with Cadence? Auntie Penny said she'd be happy to have you."

"No!" She responded a little too loudly and a little too quickly.

Amy narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "What was that?"

"No thank you, Mommy. I really just feel like reading today."

Amy bent down to her daughter's level and studied her face for signs of deception. Leah squirmed under her scrutiny.

"Leah, what's going on?" Amy asked, keeping her voice gentle.

"Nothing. I really would rather read."

"Are you jealous that Cadence got the lead in the pageant?"

"No, Mommy. I already told you I'm fine with it. The pageant will be fun, but I would rather be front and center for something that will advance me in my future career, not a singing/dancing number."

Amy noted the sincerity in the little girl's voice and her facial expression. "Alright, I just needed to be sure. And you're feeling okay?"

Leah blew out an exasperated breath. "Yes."

"Amy, I need your help!" Sheldon hollered from the living room.

"I'll be right there!" She turned back to her daughter. "We have our first break scheduled for 3 p.m. If you need anything urgently before then, it's okay to interrupt if it's an actual emergency or call Auntie Penny if it's not life threatening." Amy held out her arms, and mother and daughter embraced quickly.

When her mom was out of sight, Leah slipped down the hall into her room. She pulled a novel from her backpack, setting it on her nightstand. Her smokescreen. She felt a little guilty for her deception, though she wasn't actually lying. She really did want to read. She sat on the edge of her bed waiting.

When the digital display on her clock showed 12:50 p.m., Leah reached under her mattress. She extracted both diaries, setting them next to the novel. At the last moment, she decided she would keep the red diary in her room so she would always have something to read. Surely if her parents realized one diary was missing from the library, it wouldn't be as difficult to cover up as two missing diaries. She tucked it back in place then picked up the smaller stack, keeping the novel facing outwards in case one of them happened to walk by.

She took her seat on the couch in the library, the black diary hidden behind her back. She opened the novel to page 50 and slid in a "Physics is the Best" bookmark her dad had proudly given her. Satisfied, she set it on the coffee table and twisted in her seat to get a view of the grandfather clock. The moment it chimed the hour, she carried the diary to the ladder. Her palms were a little sweaty, so she took turns wiping each one on her pants. Using her left hand for support, she climbed to the fourth shelf. She quickly glanced into the hall. With the coast clear, she removed the biology text, shoved the diary back in place, and covered it, then blew out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She descended the ladder, stood back, and calculated where to locate the diaries her mom had kept shortly before meeting her dad. It was the logical starting point. The question was, how far back did she need to go to get a feel for why her mom signed up for online dating - a week, a month, six months? In the end, she decided to go only one week back. If she didn't have enough data, she could go back further. Ten minutes later, she had the diary in hand - a nondescript leatherbound navy-colored book. She quietly slid the ladder back to its previous location then settled into her spot, flipping back a couple of pages until she found what she was looking for.

 _May 15, 2010_

 _It's been three weeks since I created a profile on that ridiculous site, and I haven't even received one match. Part of me feels like changing my answers to conform to what society deems appropriate, but my ethics won't allow for such deceit. I am who I am. I will not change just to find a man no matter how much Mother begs me to reconsider my life's choices. I am only doing this in an attempt to keep up my end of the bargain. If I fail, I fear she will set me up with her dentist's son. After my disastrous date with Kenny last year, I can't go through that again. Just because a man's father is an orthopedist does not guarantee he is respectful. Why do guys think you owe them something when they pay for dinner? And what's even worse is that I could tell he wasn't into me. I'm just glad I left with my dignity and virginity intact, but I digress._

 _Having never signed up for online dating before, I am unfamiliar with the general timeframe of attracting a suitable match. Perhaps I need to be patient._

Leah reread the entry then set the diary on her lap. Her mom didn't even want to sign up for online dating. From what she could tell, if she was interpreting correctly, her mom and Grandma Joan had some sort of agreement. Was this the mysterious pact she had overheard her mom mention? She thought about searching further back to find the answer, but she had no idea when her mom mentioned the deal prior to this entry. Maybe as she continued to read, she would find more information on the subject.

Leah skimmed the page again and located a word she was unfamiliar with - virginity. She committed the word to memory so she could look it up later. Right now she was determined to read as much of this diary as possible. Her eyes fell on the grandfather clock. It was only 1:30. She still had one and a half hours. Settling back, she continued reading the next few entries. Nothing caught her attention until six days later.

 _May 21, 2010_

 _I was ready to abandon that infernal site but logged in out of habit. I've actually been matched with someone! I am unsure what to make of his introduction. Is "Greetings, fellow lifeform" an attempt at humor, a movie quote, or slang? Nevertheless, I clicked on his profile. Something about his picture drew me in. Maybe it's his striking blue eyes or perhaps the pale, waxy quality of his skin, or maybe it's the fact that unlike most men, he's not posing shirtless with flexed biceps. Whatever it is, I was intrigued enough to read through his bio. I am quite impressed with his qualifications. He's a scientist, a physicist to be exact. Impressive, though not as impressive as a biologist._

 _Many of his responses to the questions are so similar to my own. All my life I've felt like an outsider, and now here is a complete stranger, living mere miles away, who shares many of the same beliefs and appears to be within my intellectual field. My favorite is his response to the question 'What is your attitude towards online dating?'. He referred to the algorithms used by matchmaking sites as complete hokum.' Hokum... I don't recall anyone under 50 using that term. I find it endearing._

 _I reread his responses six times, and each time I became more fascinated with this mystery man. I replied to his message, choosing my words carefully to show just enough interest that he would accept my invitation but not so much that he would perceive me as desperate. A man of his caliber would not appreciate such a display of over exuberance. I kept it simple, sending just my name and an offer to meet for coffee tomorrow at 4:30. Some may say 22 hours is not sufficient notice, but after reading his profile, I doubt he has much of a social life. I will see if my prediction is correct, for science._

Leah pondered the latest information. Why did her dad sign up for online dating if he viewed it as hokum? Did he have a pact with someone too? And how did the dirty sock fit in? With plenty of time to spare, she continued reading.

 _May 22, 2010_

 _Sheldon Cooper accepted my invitation. Now that I have his name, I was able to perform a Google search. He started college at the age of 11, receiving his first PhD at the age of 16. He is currently employed at Caltech as a theoretical physicist with a focus on string theory. His bibliography includes a long list of articles. I read a fascinating piece in Journal of Young Investigators. The man is brilliant._

 _I normally don't care much about my physical appearance, and I'm not wishing to impress him, but I should at least look presentable. My purple and black striped cardigan paired with my blue button-down plaid shirt should send him the message that I am not interested in a romantic or physical relationship, not that it stopped Kenny from trying to maul me like a bear after honey. Perhaps I will make my intentions clear right from the start._

 _Update_

 _The date went even better than I expected. After introductions, I informed him that before we went any further, all forms of physical contact up to and including coitus are off the table. He paused only a half second before asking if he could buy me a beverage. I chose tepid water as it was too late in the day for caffeinated tea and too early for chamomile._

 _As we sat down with our beverages, I noticed two men staring at us. Sheldon's gaze followed mine. He told me the men are his friends Howard and Rajesh. They signed him up for online dating without his consent then blackmailed him with a dirty sock when he found out his perfect match wanted to meet him. I should have been insulted, but I had qualms myself about the whole prospect of meeting a complete stranger. That was until we began talking science._

 _He is the only man who hasn't stifled a yawn or tried to change the subject when I brought up my work. He admitted that he wasn't fond of biology due to the presence of icky, squishy things, but he did appear captivated when I discussed my current research with capuchin monkeys, asking appropriate, intelligent questions._

 _We also discussed his work. He was so engrossed in the subject that he didn't even notice Howard and Rajesh approach our table until Howard tapped his shoulder. It was almost funny the way Sheldon jumped from his seat, hand over heart. I had to stifle a giggle. They informed him they were leaving. Did he need a ride home, or would he prefer to take the bus home? Without asking my permission, he informed them I would drive home home. I was a little miffed but agreed. It wasn't like I had anything better to do._

 _I listened as he spoke of his idol, Richard Feynman, the whole way to his apartment, but I didn't mind. I find his voice soothing. We exchanged contact information, agreeing the dating site had outlived its usefulness, not that it had much to begin with. We parted ways, promising to keep in touch. He didn't even try to kiss me or touch me in any way. He was a perfect gentleman._

 _I'm looking forward to hearing from him. It's nice to have an intelligent conversation with someone near my age. For once in my life, I finally feel as though I have a friend._

Leah reread the entry. So there _was_ more to the dirty sock than what they let on. Neither of them even wanted to meet, yet they found each other. She wanted to do something special for Grandma Joan and her uncles to thank them for bringing her parents together. Without them, she wouldn't even exist, and her mom might still be like the sad, lonely little girl she read about in the red diary.

She was shaken out of her thoughts at the sound of footsteps In the hall. She shoved the diary behind her back just as her mom entered the room.

"I wanted to let you know, we just finished the first episode. We're taking a very short break so we can try to get back on schedule. Would you like a snack?"

Leah glanced at the clock - 2:30, not 3 o'clock. She knew she should have had more time. "No thanks," she replied calmly.

Amy's gaze shifted to the novel on the coffee table. "You're not reading anymore? I hope you haven't been bored."

"No, Mommy. I was just thinking about what I read."

She tousled her hair. "That's my girl."

xxx

"Daddy, can we open the minifigures now?" Leah asked the moment the first of the seemingly endless commercials came on.

"I can't believe I almost forgot!"

Leah watched Amy get up from the couch. "Where are you going, Mommy?"

"The bathroom. You two go ahead and open them. I know how excited you are."

Sheldon and Leah each tore open a package. Leah grinned as she pulled out a metallic-looking head. "I knew it was the robot!" She gloated. She peered over at her dad.

He pulled out a pair of legs followed by a man's head. Leah bounced in her seat impatiently. Finally he extracted the torso, a burger bun. "What in the world?"

"It's Burger Dude from 'Life at the Food Court'. He's the underappreciated employee who is forced to wear the burger costume to compete with a new burger joint. His name is actually Marco."

"Oh dear, Lord! Cartoons are not what they used to be. What was wrong with Scooby Doo and SpongeBob?" He put the pieces together and twirled the figure in his fingers. "Well, Marco, I hope you are satisfied with your life's choices. I, for one, would not stoop so low as to wear such a ridiculous costume. I have my dignity."

"And your virginity?"

Sheldon stared at his daughter. "My what?"

"You have your dignity intact. Do you also have your virginity?"

Sheldon's mouth dropped open. When he recovered, he hollered for his wife. "Amy!"

 **A/N: I know we all consider Shamy's anniversary to be May 24, as that is the original air date of when they first met on the show in 2010. Since they actually met on a Saturday in their world, I went with May 22.**

 **Thank you all again for the kind words, follows, and favorites. Have a great day!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hi everyone. I'm sorry it's been so long since the last update. I took the time to complete the other multific I was writing. It will be a lot less stressful now only having one. I'm hoping that will also open up a little time to write some one shots occasionally. Thank you for not giving up on this story.**

Amy ran into the living room. "What happened? Is everyone okay?"

"Our daughter asked me a very unusual question."

Amy took her seat on the couch between the two people she loved most and turned her gaze towards Leah whose eyes were cast downward, her fingers plucking at an imaginary piece of lint on her shirt. "Leah, please look at me," she coaxed gently.

Leah reluctantly raised her head, meeting her mom's gaze.

"What did you ask Daddy?" She asked in the same gentle voice.

"I was explaining to Daddy about Burger Dude. You know, from Life at the Foodcourt?" When Amy nodded, she continued. "Daddy said he wouldn't wear such a ridiculous costume because he has his dignity."

Amy waited as Leah paused. When the little girl didn't continue, she prompted her. "What was your question?"

Leah leaned forward so she could look at her dad, trying to guage his reaction. He appeared more nervous than shocked now. She bit her lip then blurted out, "I asked if he had his virginity."

Amy sat in stunned silence. It wasn't until a minute later when the sudden absence of sound from the TV, due to Sheldon pausing the DVR, pulled her out of her trance.

"Where?... Why?..." She collected herself and tried again, "Leah, what prompted you to ask... that?"

"Don't dignity and virginity go together?"

"I... I suppose they can. It depends on the situation. Where did you hear that phrase?"

"I read it."

" _That_ was in the book you brought home from school? These really are different times from when Daddy and I were in school."

Leah sidestepped the question. "What does it mean?"

Sheldon tapped his wife's knee to get her attention. She twisted her head towards him, noting the fear in his eyes. She tried to convey reassurance in her facial expressions, knowing that while he was slightly better at reading cues, he still has a difficult time. She squeezed his fingers gently then turned back to face their daughter.

"Monkey, this is a difficult question to answer. I promise we will find the right words to give you the best definition, okay? We just need a little time."

"How much time?"

"Just a few days."

"Why? If you know what it means, why will it take you days?"

Amy slid her double helix charm along its chain. "It's..."

"Complicated," Sheldon finished.

"Why?"

Amy took a deep breath and dropped the charm. "I know it must be difficult for you to understand, but please trust us."

"Okay," she grumbled. "Sorry I interrupted our Saturday night family time."

Amy wrapped her arm around the little girl's shoulders. "Don't be sorry, Monkey. Your thirst for knowledge is something you should be proud of. Are you ready to continue with the show? "

"Yes, Mommy."

Sheldon picked up the remote. "We might be able to catch up if we fast forward through the next set of commercials."

xxx

The next morning Sheldon insisted they start filming the next lesson at 10 a.m. rather than after lunch, as they had only been successful in completing the first two episodes the previous afternoon. With three episodes to complete, they needed all the time they could get.

"Is that okay with you, Monkey?" Amy asked. "I feel bad that we won't have much time together as a family today."

"It's okay. I still have a lot of reading to do."

Leah hugged each of her parents before heading to the library. When the grandfather clock struck 10, she pulled the navy diary out from under her seat cushion. She had been counting on her parents to not enter the library and find the real source of her question and had gotten lucky. Paging through the entries, she found the place she left off and began to read.

Most of the entries were very short. She was surprised to learn that after her parents' initial meeting at the coffee shop, they had communicated solely through electronic means. They had told her they did a lot of skyping and texting, but she assumed that was in addition to physically hanging out together. In fact, some of the entries were written verbatim, in the form of text messages.

When did they meet again in person? She skimmed through the next few pages, finding only more of the same. Her dad made her mom laugh with a pun. Her mom impressed her dad with her knowledge of the Harry Potter world. There were general scientific discussions and words of the day - some she knew, others she didn't, but she was too scared to ask for their definitions in case they panicked again. After flipping through several pages, she finally found what she was looking for. Four whole months after their first meeting, they met again.

 _September 23, 2010_

 _To say I was surprised that Sheldon wanted to meet in person again is an understatement. I've quite enjoyed our communication methods and didn't see a need to alter our routine. He explained that Penny suggested we get to know each other on a more personal level so that when we bring new life into the world, we will both have access to our progeny. I concur with this logic, which is why I agreed to a second date, even though I have fulfilled my end of the deal with Mother for the year._

Leah dropped the book as if it was on fire. Her parents wanted a baby after meeting just once? Something must have changed or she'd have an older sibling. Once again she wondered how humans, or any animals, exchanged genetic materials. Why were her parents so reluctant to tell her? Maybe the answer was in the genetics textbooks she had read two years ago. She wished she had inherited her dad's eidetic memory. Now she had to decide if it was more advantageous to continue reading the diaries or look up the mysteries of the world.

xxx

Amy uncovered the whiteboard behind the couch as Sheldon neatly placed the first set of flags on the coffee table.

"I feel bad for Leah. She said she's fine with us taking so much time out of the day for this, but it has to be lonely for her."

"Amy, she's fine. She could have taken Penny up on her offer to spend the day with Cadence if she really wanted to. Personally, I'm glad she decided to expand her mind with books rather than engaging in playtime."

"Both are essential to her wellbeing. Honestly, I would rather she spend a little more time playing than reading. I'm afraid she's going to lose her innocence far too young."

Sheldon stared at her, his hands shaking. "Amy, she's only eight years old, not a teenager."

"I didn't mean her physical innocence," she clarified. "I mean her vocabulary. I wonder what other words are in that book?"

"What is she reading anyway?"

"I don't know. I didn't see the title."

"You don't suppose it's a... sex book?"

"I'm pretty sure it's not."

"But you don't know."

She rested her hand on his bouncing knee. "Sheldon, I think if it was, Leah would have had a lot more questions for us."

"So, what are we going to tell her?"

"You mean about the virginity definition?" He nodded. "I was thinking of calling Bernadette for advice."

"Why Bernadette? Wouldn't Penny be the more obvious choice?"

"Bernadette was the first of us to become a mother. Nathaniel has already gone through this stage. Maybe he brought home some literature."

"Good thinking."

She consulted her watch. "Fifteen minutes until show time. Is everything ready?"

Sheldon scanned the room. He mentally checked off everything they needed to begin. Flags in place? Check. Camera positioned precisely? Check. Curtains shut to reduce glare. Check.

Amy leaned back against the seat cushions. "I really hope the school will appreciate our hard work."

"As do I. Perhaps if they allow us to continue, we can try to teach another class as well."

"How could we fit more into our schedule? We're already cutting into our family time, and I haven't even started on Leah's costume."

"I'm the master of schedule creation. We'll just need to juggle a few activities around. We still have ten days until the pageant, and you don't have to do it alone; we can work on the costume together."

"Let's just see how it goes before we even suggest anything to the school, and thank you for the offer to help with Leah's costume." She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

She watched as he rearranged the flags again, lining them up perfectly parallel to the edge of the coffee table.

Suddenly his hands stilled. "Amy?"

The fear in his eyes alarmed her. "Is everything okay?"

"What kind of information is in those booklets the schools give out?"

"From what I remember, it was the mechanics of reproduction, the basics of how the sperm gets to the egg, and birth control." Amy paused then giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just remembering the time my teacher, Mrs. Carr, gave us each a banana and a condom to practice with."

The color drained from Sheldon's face. " _That's_ what they teach in school? Now I'm even more grateful I missed those awful lessons. We can save Leah from the horror too."

"We're not skipping her ahead," Amy said firmly.

"But I don't want my little girl playing with condoms."

"Forget I said anything."

"I can't forget. I have a eidetic memory."

"Sheldon..."

"Fine. I'll drop it for now, but when the school informs us it's time for her to go through those classes, I'll... I'll... I'll think of something."

She patted his knee. "I don't doubt that you will."

"Besides condoms, what other birth control methods did you learn about? Vasectomies?"

"No, that's not something preteens need to worry about." She paused as her mind wandered to a conversation they had eight years earlier. "Sheldon, do you have any regrets?"

"No. I didn't then, and I don't now. It was the least I could do after what you went through."

"You did it out of guilt?"

"Partly..."

A pained look crossed Amy's face. "Sheldon, I would have gladly had a tubal ligation or gone back on the pill. It was because of my body that we decided not to go through another pregnancy."

"Amy, I told you eight years ago, and I'm telling you again, I would never want children with anyone else, so it was the best option. I wanted, no I needed, to do this... for us. I never would have suggested it if I didn't want to do it."

"You might change your mind if something happened to me."

"Amy, there is only you, there has only been you, and there will only ever be you," he said adamantly. "You know I have never even looked at another woman. If I hadn't met you, I'd probably still be living with Leonard."

"I'm sure Leonard and Penny would have loved that," she muttered under her breath.

He either didn't hear or chose to ignore her comment. "And don't say things like that. We're in our 40s, not our 90s. We have a lot of years left."

"I still feel bad. I should have been more persistent when I tried to talk you out of it. In a few more years, I'll go into menopause, and we won't have to worry about pregnancy."

"I wasn't going to wait 15 to 20 years to make love to my wife again. Having a vasectomy was one of the smartest choices I've ever made."

"There were other ways..."

"No!" He confirmed vehemently. "A vasectomy is a much less invasive procedure than a tubal ligation, and the pill is only 99% effective. We couldn't afford to take that risk."

She rested her head on his chest. "It was a very selfless thing to do."

He kissed the top of her head. "Like I said, I did it for us. I don't regret my decision."

"Good."

"You'll never question my choice again?"

"If it's really what you wanted, I won't."

"It is." He peered at his watch. "Two minutes. We need to refocus on our task. Do you remember your lines?"

"I do."

They used the remaining 90 seconds to rearrange their expressions and sit up straight. At precisely 10 a.m., Sheldon gave Amy the signal to begin recording.

"Hello, and welcome to Dr. Sheldon Cooper…"

"Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper…"

"Cut!"

"What's wrong?"

"Amy, you're supposed to say _and_ Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper."

"Sorry! I'm so used to Leah going next. I promise I'll say it right this time. And three, two, one…"

"Hello, and welcome to Dr. Sheldon Cooper…"

"and Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper present...

"Fun with Flags!"

xxx

After Leah's initial shock, she picked up the diary again then quickly set it back on her lap. She cautiously peeked at the entry again and mulled over the words " _when we bring new life into the world"_... Maybe it wasn't what it seemed. Her mom had written about buying a turtle. Maybe the turtle discussion had started much sooner than 2015. But why would they refer to a pet as their progeny?

She thought back to the day they purchased Giuseppe. She had been begging for a pet ever since her classmate, Gretchen, brought her chameleon in for show and tell. It was all Leah talked about for a week. Her parents had finally given in, but her dad insisted they get a turtle, after listing the reasons why they made the best pets. He said pet, not progeny. They never referred to Giuseppe as their child.

Frustrated, she buried the diary under the couch cushion and climbed the library ladder to the genetics books. She selected one at random, hoping it held the answer. She carefully examined each page. After a brief introduction on the subject, there was a summary of dominant and recessive traits followed by several examples of Punnett squares. She selected two more books, the first as unhelpful as the original. The second didn't fare much better, though it at least mentioned the sperm and egg.

Leah sighed and lifted her eyes up towards the window. The December sun was already beginning to set. She had wasted her whole afternoon searching when she should have used the time reading the diary. She placed everything back on the shelves, chastising herself for being so inattentive to the time constraints. Her only hope was that she would soon get another chance.

Tomorrow she'd be back in school listening to Miss Banitt drone on about prime numbers while the world held more important lessons to be discovered. Her only reprieve would be her parents' Fun With Flag videos, and maybe if she was lucky, they would also find the words to explain virginity.


	24. Chapter 24

Amy arrived at Bernadette's office shortly after noon on Monday. She rapped on the door and was immediately greeted by her friend's squeaky voice.

"It's open!"

She strode in and draped her purse over the extra chair across from the massive desk and took a seat. "Thank you for taking time out of your day for this."

"Of course! That's what friends are for."

"I'm a lousy friend," Amy admitted. "I feel like we haven't seen each other in ages, and here I am asking for a favor."

"It's okay. We've all been busy. Penny said you spent all weekend filming Fun with Flags."

"For Leah's school. She's bored, so we're trying to get her more engaged in her classes. I'm not sure if it will be helpful, but the videos should at least keep her entertained. But enough about us. How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess. There's been a little friction at home lately. I'm caught in the middle between Howie and my parents."

"What happened?"

"Hanukkah overlaps with Christmas this year. Howie suggested we celebrate Hanukkah at our house, and my dad had a fit. He not so subtly reminded us of the holiday traditions he and my mom have been celebrating for the past 49 years, while we've only been married for 15 years."

"Can you somehow incorporate both?"

"I suggested it, but it didn't go over well. I'm sure we'll figure something out." Bernadette paused to drink a sip of water. "What about you? Are you going to Texas for Christmas this year?"

"This is the year we go to Boston to spend time with my dad's side of the family. Next year is Texas, then my mom's the year after that. It's times like this I wish all our family lived closer," Amy revealed, wistfully.

"So everyone can fight over whose holiday traditions to celebrate?" The blonde replied snarkily. "Sorry, Amy. That was uncalled for. I'm just really stressed. You must be excited."

"To be honest, I haven't had much time to think about it recently. Sheldon bought our plane tickets months ago, and we don't need to reserve a hotel room. Now I feel like a terrible daughter and sister. Sorry, I'm rambling. Maybe we should just get down to business."

Bernadette reached into her file drawer and pulled out her purse. She extracted a small booklet and slid it across the desk then watched as her friend warily peeked inside and quickly shut it.

Amy slid her double helix charm along its chain. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"When did Nathaniel start asking questions?"

"He never really did until he learned about it in school last year." The microbiologist regarded her friend's furrowed brow. "Maybe it's different with girls. Have you asked Penny if Cadence has been curious too?"

Amy shook her head no. "Eight years old just seems a little young to be discussing sex. I wish I hadn't told Leah we'd give her an answer in a few days. Now we have to go through with it."

Bernadette skirted around her desk, knelt down, and wrapped her arms around the distraught woman. "Amy, it will be okay. Leah is a very intelligent little girl. I'm sure everything will be fine, and it's better she hears it from you than from the older kids on the playground."

She dropped the charm and returned the hug. "I know. I keep telling Sheldon that too. I need to take my own advice, but it's so hard." She took a shaky breath. "I can just picture his face when we sit her down with this," she tilted her head towards the booklet.

Bernadette pulled her chair next to her so they were eye to eye. "Can I ask you something?" Amy nodded. "I know you were against it before, but have you reconsidered skipping Leah ahead?"

"Sheldon and I discussed it again, but I would still like to wait a couple of years before considering it."

"Are you sure? You've said yourself that Leah is bored, and now she seems to be going out of her way to find unfamiliar subjects. It sounds like she needs a challenge."

"You're taking his side?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just trying to help."

"I don't want to alienate her from kids her age. She has friends, she's not being bullied..."

"That may be true, but look what's happening as a result."

"Are you saying I'm a bad mom?"

"You're not a bad mom. Leah is very lucky to have you and Sheldon as parents. I just want to make sure you weigh all your options." Amy looked unconvinced, so she tried another tactic. "Maybe the school has a gifted program she can join. There would probably be other kids her age."

Amy shook her head. "They don't have one. We asked if they would consider it and received a very firm no."

"What about other schools in the area? I can see if Nat's school offers anything."

"Another school? That will be extra driving. Penny and I have a good thing going now with our every-other-week rotation, not to mention it's the middle of the school year..."

"That's the perfect time to transfer. Right after the holidays, the schools will begin new classes and..."

"Bernadette..."

"Please, just think about it."

"You're even more persistent than Sheldon," she muttered.

xxx

"Penny was okay keeping Leah an extra 15 minutes?" Sheldon asked, as they pulled into their driveway.

"She said it's fine."

When they were situated inside, Amy pulled the borrowed booklet from her purse and slid it across the kitchen table to her husband. She bit her lip as he peeked inside.

"Oh, dear Lord!"

"It's okay, Sheldon," she reassured him, as she patted his hand. "They're just diagrams with some basic information on reproduction. It's not like it's a sex position book."

He quickly skimmed through the pages. "Aside from the obvious, there's another glaring problem."

"What's that?"

"Not once does it mention virginity."

"I was thinking of handing her the book then explaining how it all ties in once she's read it."

They continued discussing alternate methods of broaching the subject until the Spider-Man doorbell chimed. Sheldon consulted his watch and couldn't believe their 15 minutes of alone time were already up. They still hadn't come to an agreement. He could hear Amy and Penny chatting in the foyer and Leah's footsteps nearing the kitchen. In a panic, he rose slightly from his chair, set the booklet on it, and quickly sat down.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"There's my girl!"

Leah wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed. He hugged her to him, his head resting on hers.

After a few moments, she shrugged out of his embrace. "I'm going to read a little before dinner."

"Wait." She turned back to look at him. "What was the result of the flag video? Did your classmates like it? What did your teacher think?"

"I'll tell you and Mommy together at dinner," she promised before heading into her bedroom.

She dug the red diary out of its hiding place and picked up where she left off four days earlier.

 _February 12, 1991_

 _I am really enjoying working in the library after school. I know this is only the second day, but I have a real sense of belonging here. Miss Baines is so kind. She was genuinely interested to hear about my day and asked if I had a preference on music today. Being unfamiliar with the majority of bands and artists, I suggested she choose whatever she was in the mood for._

 _I heard her shuffling through her cassettes, and moments later, the room was filled with the rich, melodious sounds of a man's voice. I listened carefully to the words of the first track. They described a man caught between two worlds, his former life in New York and his current life in LA. The lyrics are very reflective, though melancholic, and the chorus, especially when his voice comes to a crescendo, is very moving. After the song ended, Miss Baines clicked off the tape recorder and informed me that is one of her favorite songs of all time. It's called 'I am I Said', and it was written and sung by Neil Diamond._

 _She rewound the tape and played it again. I mouthed along with the chorus as I returned the books to their rightful places. As the last notes faded again, I asked her if all his songs were like that. She rummaged through her collection again and played another, much more upbeat, song followed by an array of hits, all so different from each other. I am so impressed by his repertoire._

 _Before I was ready, Mother arrived to take me home. I answered her questions politely then stared out the window, as the sights of Glendale whirled past, but I barely took notice. I struggled to keep myself from humming the new tunes I know will become an integral part of my life._

Leah set the diary in her lap. It had been awhile since her mom had played anything by Neil Diamond. Her dad wasn't a huge fan, but he knew it made her mom happy, so he tolerated it. He had even bought them tickets to one of his concerts shortly after they were married as part of her mom's wedding gift. A testament to how much he loved her.

"Leah, dinner's ready!" Her mom called out.

Leah shoved the diary under her mattress, washed her hands, and took her seat at the table.

"Tell us about the flag videos," Sheldon said, without preamble.

"Everyone laughed when you tried to imitate a grizzly bear growl," she giggled.

"Your mom's idea. I didn't want to sound foolish."

Amy patted his hand. "I knew they would enjoy that. What else did your classmates find interesting?"

Leah chewed and swallowed before answering. "They liked how you look so nervous in front of the camera."

"Nervous? I'm not nervous, are you?" Sheldon asked his wife.

She shook her head. "We've been doing this for years. I'm not a bit nervous in front of the camera."

Leah shrugged. "That's what Skylar and Mila said, but they're not very bright. Mila did say you look cute together even though you're middle old."

"Middle old?" Sheldon huffed. "What does that mean?"

Leah shrugged again. "Like I said, she's not very bright."

"Let's forget about Mila and Skylar. What did everyone else say?" Amy asked.

"They thought it was a fun change from our usual lessons. Even Miss Banitt said it was much better than she thought."

Sheldon looked at his wife. "Amy, did you hear that? Maybe we'll be able to continue."

"Maybe." Amy turned back to her daughter. "What did you think, Monkey?"

"I knew everything, but it was still fun to watch. Maybe next time you can throw in some words I don't know."

Amy licked her lips. This was the perfect segue to the other topic weighing on all their minds, but they needed to wait until the food was gone. She was 90% sure Sheldon would choke on his strawberry Quik if she presented Leah with the booklet now. Instead she squeezed her daughter's hand. "Sorry, Monkey. One of the stipulations to doing this series was keeping the vocabulary at a third-grade level."

"Oh."

They finished the meal in relative silence. Sheldon remained seated as his wife and daughter cleared the plates and started the dishwasher.

"Daddy, you love cleaning. Why didn't you get up?"

"Umm..." he licked his lips and looked to Amy for help.

"Sheldon, is something wrong?"

"The booklet... I have the booklet," he stuttered.

"Where?"

He tilted his head slightly towards the chair, and a look of understanding crossed her face.

"Monkey, Daddy and I have some information for you to read."

"What kind of information?"

Amy slid her double helix charm then quickly dropped it. "It's about how babies are made. It... it also ties into your question about virginity."

"We're doing this now?" He asked.

"Now is as good of time as any."

He lifted himself off the chair and reluctantly placed the booklet on the table.

Leah's eyes widened. "Why did you sit on it?"

"I didn't want you to see it before we were ready." Under his breath he added, "I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

"Leah, sweetie, look this over and don't be afraid to ask any questions, okay?"

"Okay."

"We'll be in the living room," Sheldon informed his daughter.

"Are you sure leaving her is a good idea?" Amy whispered when they settled onto the couch.

"What are we supposed to do? Watch her?"

"I suppose you're right. Shall we put on Animal Planet?" Before he had a chance to answer, she selected the channel and leaned into his side.

Half an hour later, Leah came rushing into the room.

Amy lifted her head from Sheldon's chest. "Monkey, is everything okay?"

Leah wrinkled her nose. "Baby making is weird. I can't believe you did that to each other."

"Why do you think it's weird?" Amy asked calmly.

"I don't know."

Amy patted the spot next to her. When Leah cautiously sat down, her nose still wrinkled, she tried again. "Do you have any questions for us?"

"Did you feel weird doing it?"

They exchanged a look over her head.

"We didn't know what to expect the first time. I wouldn't call it weird, just different," Amy supplied.

"You did it more than once? What happened to the other baby?"

"What other baby?" Sheldon choked out.

"If you made a baby at least twice, where is my brother or sister?"

"Oh, Monkey. It doesn't work that way. Babies aren't conceived every time a couple has sex. The conditions have to be just right."

"Did you have to have a lot of sex before I was conceived?" She looked over at her dad who was beginning to hyperventilate. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

"I'm fine," he wheezed. "Leah, that question is extremely personal."

"But Mommy said I can ask anything."

"I did," she sighed. "Monkey, I should have clarified. I meant questions about what you read in the booklet."

"Fine. I didn't see anything about virginity in there. How does it tie in?"

Amy cleared her throat. "Virginity is what it's called before you have sex. When a person has sex for the first time, they lose their virginity. Does that make sense?"

"I guess. When did you lose your virginity? Did Daddy take it from you?"

Sheldon blanched. "Leah, that's personal again, but yes. Mommy and I took each other's virginity."

"Do you miss it?"

Sheldon ran his hand over his face. "What is happening with this conversation?" He muttered.

"Do you?" Leah persisted.

"Monkey, sex is a very personal act between the two people involved." Amy closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Daddy and I need a few minutes alone."

"Why?"

"Leah, please go to your room," Sheldon instructed firmly but gently. "We'll call you when we're ready to resume this discussion."

"Fine," the little girl pouted.

When they heard her bedroom door click shut, Amy leaned heavily against her husband. "Bernadette was right. She's seeking answers to unknown subjects," she murmured. "Sheldon, I don't know how to answer these questions honestly but without divulging all our secrets. Do we avoid them or tell her the bare minimum?"

"I _knew_ we should have let the school take care of this."

"What if we had, and she asked the teacher the same personal questions?"

He ran his hand over his face. "Maybe we need some ground rules. She can ask about the mechanics, but anything relating to what's personal between us is off limits."

"I already did."

"But you didn't say it with much conviction."

She sighed. "I think it might be best if we steer her away off on a tangent."

"Perhaps you're right. Shall I call her back?" When she gave him a slight nod, he hollered towards the hall.

Leah cautiously resumed her seat next to her mom and stared at them both warily.

"Monkey, you can ask us questions again, but please keep them towards the mechanical side."

"But the book answers all that. I want to know what it's actually like."

Sheldon gripped his wife's hand so hard, she feared her bones would snap.

Amy slid her double helix charm back and forth. "Leah, all I'm going to say is that when two people are in love, it's a very beautiful way to show your partner just how deep your love is."

"How do you show your love now?"

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"Since you can't have sex anymore, how do you show your love for each other? Is the kissing and hugging enough?"

Amy glanced at her husband, noting his panicked look. "What makes you think we don't?"

"Aren't you scared of getting pregnant again?"

"There are... ways to prevent pregnancy."

"Like what?"

"Remember when I said the conditions need to be right? That's one way."

"Leah," Sheldon interrupted, in an attempt to change the subject. "Why don't we discuss how the parents' genes combine to create each unique child?"

"I know all that. I read the genetics books."

"Did they also discuss the nine-month gestation period and fetal development?" He asked.

When she didn't respond, he peered around Amy. Leah was biting her lip in concentration. Suddenly her eyes widened.

"The convention!" She gasped.

 **A/N: I know it's a strange place to leave off, but all will be explained in the next chapter.**

 **Thank you all again for your continued support.**


	25. Chapter 25

"Leah, sweetie, what convention? What are you talking about?" Amy asked.

"I did the math. Nine months before July is October..."

Amy furrowed her brow. "That's right, but what about a convention? Where are you going with this?"

Leah sighed in exasperation. "The flag convention is always in October, and my birthday is in July..."

Sheldon ran his hand over his face. "Oh, dear Lord!"

"Was I conceived at the flag convention?" Leah asked in a trembling voice.

Amy slid her double helix charm along its chain. "Yes."

Leah scrunched up her nose. "In front of all those people?"

"No!" Her parents shouted in unison.

Amy continued sliding the charm, increasing the pace, then quickly dropped it when she realized she was doing it. "We were alone in our hotel room. It was our one-year wedding anniversary..."

"Amy! We don't need to share the details."

"Sorry." She squeezed his knee then turned back to their daughter. "Leah, sex is a very private matter. If you have questions about the mechanics or fetal development, we will happily answer them, but please no more questions about the details of what Daddy and I do in the privacy of our bedroom."

"Do you have sex every night?"

Sheldon closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. "Leah, that's enough."

"Fine," the little girl pouted.

"Do you have any questions specific to the booklet?" Amy inquired.

Leah crossed her arms. "No."

"Very well then." Sheldon consulted his watch. "It's almost bedtime, young lady."

"Aww! But I haven't even done anything fun tonight."

"You have 12 minutes. It's not a lot of time, but we can find something to fit the parameters."

"Can we listen to Neil Diamond and the Super Mario theme?"

"That's an odd combination, but sure. Any particular reason why?" Amy asked.

"Because I made you and Daddy uncomfortable. Maybe listening to your favorite music will help calm you."

Amy pulled the little girl to her and held her tight. "That's very sweet of you to take our feelings into consideration."

She gave her a final squeeze as Sheldon pulled up YouTube on his phone. Within moments the first few notes of 'Sweet Caroline' filled the room. When the song reached the chorus, all three Coopers sang along. Leah crawled over her mom to sit on her dad's lap when his favorite tune played and snuggled against him. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on hers. As the last notes faded, Sheldon stood with his daughter in his arms, just as he had when she was five years old.

"Daddy, I can walk."

"I know, but one day I won't be able to carry you."

"I'm too big now."

He shook his head. "No, you're still my little girl."

Amy blinked back tears as she followed behind. Leah was growing up so fast, and tonight even more so with the new information they had given her. She watched her husband reluctantly set her down in front of her bedroom.

Leah chose a pink pajama top and purple pants, a combination of two sets Penny bought her when she admired Cadence's nightwear, much to Sheldon's dismay. He preferred his daughter in superhero and science-themed apparel, but as Amy pointed out, they needed to be supportive of her choices.

While Leah brushed her teeth, her parents sat side by side on her bed. Sheldon reached for the stuffed monkey his daughter had slept with since she was an infant. "I'm not ready for this," he sighed.

"Ready for what?"

"For Leah to grow up."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Me neither, but it's part of life."

He twirled the toy absently. "I know I've always wanted her to skip ahead in school, but now a part of me is relieved you're opposed to the idea."

"Funny you should mention that. Bernadette got me thinking today. She pointed out that Leah is searching for topics she doesn't know much about because she's not learning anything in school. I'm starting to see why you've tried pushing me..." Amy cocked her ear towards the hallway. "We'll talk more once Leah's asleep."

They stood, and Sheldon lifted a corner of the jungle-themed comforter when Leah padded into the room. "Let's get you all tucked in."

Leah climbed into bed and picked up a well-worn copy of 'The Chrysalids', a science fiction tale of a post-apocalyptic world, and one that both her parents had willingly read. "I want to read this one again."

"We have time for five pages tonight," Sheldon informed her.

They took their seats next to her as she read aloud from the novel. Leah obediently stopped when she found a good place to leave off on the fifth page, setting the book on her night stand.

"I love you, Mommy," she murmured, as she slipped her arms around her. She let go and leaned over to repeat her actions with her dad. "I love you, Daddy."

"We love you too. Goodnight, Monkey," Amy whispered, as they turned out the light and closed the door partway on their way out.

Leah waited until she was sure her parents were gone then reached under her mattress for the red diary and fumbled for her book light.

 _February 13, 1991_

 _Today was not a good day, though it started off well. I got a perfect score on the multiplication test, but I never doubted anything less. Most of my classmates are struggling. Come on, people. How difficult is it to multiply 5x8? I made the mistake of saying this out loud. My classmates didn't like me before, but now they've taken their hatred to the next level. For the rest of the day, I had to deal with spitballs, wedgies, and taunts..._

Leah shoved the diary back under her mattress. Her mom's childhood was so depressing. Kids could be so cruel. She was glad she didn't have the same issues. She had been called 'nerd' a few times but could never tell her parents. They would probably go to the school and make things worse.

Leah sighed. What she really wanted was to read about her parents' private details. Now that she knew when she was conceived, she could find a diary from that time period and hope her mom wrote about it. The only problem was getting into the library while they were too busy to notice. If the school allowed them to continue with the flag episodes, she would have plenty of time over the weekend, but it was only Monday, and she didn't want to wait that long.

She picked up the stuffed monkey and set it on her lap. When she was younger, she had held conversations with it, sometimes asking it for advice. She knew now that it was silly, but maybe voicing her concerns out loud would help her devise a plan.

"Coco, what do you think I should do?"

The toy stared at her, unmoving, with its lifeless marble eyes. She propped it against her pillow and stared back. This was a terrible idea. She closed her eyes and thought hard. One of the trickiest parts of obtaining a diary from the book wall was the extra time needed to pull out the book in front and replacing it, so what if that step was eliminated? She opened her eyes and smiled as a plan fell in place.

She reached for a random book on her night stand and padded down the hall to the library.

Her parents' conversation came to an abrupt halt as they heard footsteps approaching.

"Leah, is something wrong?" Amy asked, concerned.

"I can't sleep. Can I read in here with you?"

Sheldon noted the book in her hands. "That's not 'The Chrysalids'."

"Oh, um... I thought this one would make me more sleepy."

"You can read again tomorrow. Tonight you really should get your rest," he declared.

"But I can't sleep."

"Why not, Monkey?" Amy asked.

"I was thinking about what you said earlier."

"What part?"

"I want to know more about fetal development, but first I think I should reread the genetics texts to start at the beginning." She looked up at the book wall, their gazes following hers.

Amy stood and looked up towards the choices, chin in hand. "Let's start you off with 'Genome: the Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters'."

Leah's eyes located the book in question. It was too far from her target area. "No, not that one. I want the one that's five spaces to the right."

"Monkey, that one is a little more advanced. Let's start you off with something simpler."

Sheldon reached for the book his wife suggested and handed it to his daughter.

"No, not this one," she pouted.

"Someone's crabby," he observed. "Let's get you to bed again. You have school in the morning. You may read in your room for 15 minutes, then it's lights out."

Leah sighed heavily as she trailed behind her dad with the unwanted book towards her bedroom. That didn't go as planned.

 **A/N: Thank you all again for your continued support. I appreciate all the follows, favorites, and reviews.**


	26. Chapter 26

At noon on Friday, Sheldon triple knocked and waited just outside his wife's lab. She slung her purse over her shoulder and joined him in the hall.

"Why hasn't the school called?" He fretted, as she locked the door behind her.

"Let's give them a little more time."

"But it's Friday. We need to know before this evening so we can start preparing our scripts and get our props together."

She held his hand and squeezed as they headed for the cafeteria. "Déjà vu," she muttered under her breath, thinking of the similar conversation they had one week earlier. Out loud she said, "Even if they allow us to continue, we're not helping Leah. These videos are a lot of work. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to raise the other students' scores if the videos keep them engaged, but we're failing our own daughter."

He stopped suddenly. A group of young professors walked towards them, so he pulled her to the side. "I feel the same way. We're lessening her boredom a little, but she's not learning anything. Since they won't allow us to teach anything beyond a third-grade level, I don't know how else we can help."

"There is the option Bernadette presented."

"When we talked about it on Monday, I didn't think you were in favor of Leah attending a new school."

"It's not ideal, but we should at least look into it."

They continued to their destination, each lost in their own thoughts. Amy grabbed a tray and merged into the meal line. She looked over her shoulder to find her husband biting his lip, chin in hand.

"Sheldon?"

He looked up. "Sorry, just thinking about other options for Leah. What if she doesn't want to change schools?"

"We can present her with the potential option but stress that it may not even be feasible." She handed him a tray as he got in line behind her.

"We could, but if she's excited for the chance then finds out it's not feasible, she'll be devastated. I think we should gather all the information before sitting down with her," he reasoned.

"You're right," she agreed, adding a prepackaged salad to her tray.

"Is Bernadette actively checking with Nathaniel's school?"

She shrugged slightly. "I don't know. I'll shoot her an email when I get back to the lab."

Trays laden with food, they paid the cashier and headed for the table their friends already occupied. Raj vacated his seat across from Howard and Leonard. He gestured for Amy to sit and dragged an empty chair from the next table to the short edge, allowing the couple to sit next to each other.

Amy accepted his offer. "Thank you, Rajesh."

After a round of 'hellos', Sheldon took his seat, placed his napkins precisely, and bit into his burger.

"So, how did Leah react to the sex book?" Howard asked, without preamble.

Sheldon choked on his food. Amy patted his back as he coughed and wheezed until he assured her that he was fine.

"She seemed okay with the content but asked a lot of personal questions," Amy supplied.

Howard wiggled his eyebrows. "What kinds of questions?"

"Howard! It was bad enough that Leah put us through that. I won't dignify your question with a response," Sheldon huffed, his eye twitching.

"Why not tell these two? Amy told Penny," Leonard informed his best friend.

"Amy!" Sheldon sputtered.

"I told her because I wanted to know if Cadence had the same inquiries."

"Did she?"

"No. She hasn't even uttered the word 'sex'," Amy informed her husband, looking to Leonard for confirmation.

He nodded in agreement. "Honestly, I'm a little concerned Cadence may start asking questions if Leah brings it up."

"We'll ask Leah not to say anything," Amy promised.

"Thank you."

The group focused on the food in front of them until Raj finally broke the silence. "The Geminids meteor shower begins tomorrow. I was thinking of going out to Vasquez Rocks to watch it. Do you think Leah might be interested in accompanying me?"

Sheldon turned to his wife. "You know, an astrological expedition might be just what Leah needs to get her mind off her inappropriate inquiries."

"Agreed. Rajesh, thank you for the offer. We'll check with her tonight."

"And while the little one is out, that will give the two of you a little one-on-one time, if you catch my drift."

"Howard, please," Sheldon groaned. Amy rested her hand discreetly on his back, and within moments he visibly relaxed. "We'll probably use the time to finish Leah's pageant costume, since we've hardly had a chance to work on it. We've only managed to cut out the pieces."

"We've been making up for our lost family time every night this week," Amy informed the group.

Raj bounced in his seat. "I volunteer to work on the costume."

"Rajesh, that's kind of you to offer, but we can't let you do that," Amy declared.

Sheldon turned to her. "Why not? It will save us a lot of time."

"But we'll have time tomorrow night if Leah goes out."

"When Nat's out with his friends, Bernie and I make every minute count, if you catch my..."

"Howard, must you?" Sheldon interrupted.

Leonard lowered his hands in a 'calm down' motion. "Guys, settle down." He addressed the couple. "No matter what you two end up doing, it will at least give you a little downtime if you let Raj help."

Amy glanced at Sheldon who nodded slightly. "Thank you, Rajesh. We accept your offer."

"Great! I'll swing by your house tonight to pick up the supplies, if that's okay."

"Yes, that's perfect. Thank you so..." Amy was cut off by Sheldon's ringtone.

He glanced at the screen then swiped 'Accept Call'. "Hello... Yes, this is he..." He frowned as the caller went into a lengthy monologue. "There's nothing else... I see... Very well... Have a good day."

Everyone's eyes were on his as he ended the call and stared at the blank screen.

Amy tentatively lay her hand on his arm. "Sheldon, is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure."

"Was that the school?" She asked softly. He nodded.

"Are you okay, Buddy?" Leonard asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure how I feel."

"Did they ask us to discontinue the videos?"

"Not exactly." He sighed. "They asked if we could do one per week until the holiday break, then they will reevaluate the situation. Part of me is insulted that they don't want us to create one per day, another part of me is relieved that they still want us to continue in any form, and another tiny part of me hoped they would tell us they didn't need our services anymore."

"Sheldon, it's okay to have mixed feelings. I feel the same way."

"You do?"

"Yes. You're not alone. We're in this together." When he gave her his boyish lopsided smile, she returned the smile then turned to the astrophysicist. "Since we'll only need to film one video this weekend, we'll have time to work on the costume afterall."

"I still want to do it. I'm already imagining all the glitter and sequins," he said dreamily, as the guys all rolled their eyes. "Besides, I have nothing else to do. Take Leah somewhere fun, then it will be ready when I pick her up for the meteor shower, if she agrees to come."

"There are some family-friendly events going on right now. Bernie and I are taking Nat to the interactive dino exhibit at the Natural History Museum tomorrow."

"And Penny and I are taking the kids to see the Christmas-themed creations at Legoland."

"What do you think, Sheldon?"

"Those are both acceptable ideas. I have a couple of family activities in mind too. We'll present them all to Leah tonight and let her choose."

"So I get to make the costume?" Raj asked, hopefully.

"Yes. Thank you again, Rajesh. We really appreciate it."

xxx

After the dinner dishes were cleared, the Coopers retreated to the living room. Leah grabbed the TV remote, but Amy placed her hand on her daughter's.

"Soon. Daddy and I have a couple of things we need to discuss with you first."

"Am I in trouble?"

"No, of course not," Sheldon reassured her.

Leah took her seat on the couch next to her mom and waited. They both faced her, Sheldon leaning forward slightly to see around his wife.

"Uncle Raj had such a fun time stargazing with you last month that he asked if you would be interested in joining him again," Amy began.

"When?"

"Tomorrow. The Geminids meteor shower begins," Sheldon explained.

"What will you do if I go?"

Amy smoothed back her daughter's bangs. "We'll find something. Don't worry about us."

Leah craned her neck towards the bedrooms down the hall, an odd expression on her face. The same expression she had five days earlier when they had the sex talk. She rearranged her expression back to the questioning look she'd given them moments earlier.

"Okay. Tell Uncle Raj I'll go."

"You can tell him yourself soon. He's coming to pick up the materials for your costume."

"Why?"

"He wanted to help so we can have some family time tomorrow."

"Won't you be filming more flag episodes?"

"Only one this weekend, and we'll do that on Sunday. Tomorrow we'll make up for last weekend." Sheldon clarified.

"But you've been making up for it all week."

Amy hugged her. "We've tried, but it's not the same as having a whole day together."

"We have a few options for you to choose from. We'll do whichever one you want," Sheldon promised.

"Can't you do the flags tomorrow and family time on Sunday?"

Sheldon looked wounded. "It almost seems like you don't want to spend time with us."

"I do. I just..." Leah sighed in frustration.

"You just what, Monkey?" Amy asked, soothingly.

"I was planning to read tomorrow."

"You can read on Sunday while we're filming," Sheldon offered.

Leah blew out a deep breath. There would be no getting out of this. The October 2018 diary would have to wait another day. Once again, her plans would be delayed. "Fine," she mumbled.

"That's my girl! We have four options. We can go to the interactive dino exhibit at the museum, to Legoland, check out the new 1980s-style arcade, or go to the zoo."

"The arcade?"

Sheldon furrowed his brow. "Are you asking us or telling us?"

"Telling you. May I be excused now?" She squirmed against her mom's hold.

Amy kept her arms loosely around her daughter. "I thought we were all going to watch TV."

"Won't Uncle Raj be here soon? If we start watching something, we may get interrupted."

"That's true. Alright, Monkey, you're excused."

Leah hugged each of her parents then headed for her bedroom. She closed the door partway then reached under her mattress for the red diary. All week she had read about her mom's sad childhood. She had been looking forward to reading something not so depressing, and now she would have to wait an extra day. She flipped the pages to the next entry and began to read.

 _February 17, 1991_

 _Grandma called to see how I was doing. Mother and I haven't seen her in a month, so she hoped we could stop by today. Mother already had plans to grocery shop and clean, as she had been working late all week and didn't have the chance, but she agreed to drop me off._

 _Grandma is delighted. It will be just the two of us. Usually I have to share her with Irene and Danny, but not today. Aunt Doe is taking them and a few close friends to Six Flags amusement park. Grandma suggested we bake cookies. As much fun as that sounds, I asked if she could start teaching me to play the harp. She happily agreed._

 _I'm so excited for my first real harp lesson. If this one goes well, maybe we can do this every weekend until I master it. I'd really love to show off my skills next Christmas._

The sound of the Spider-Man doorbell alerted Leah that her uncle had arrived. She shoved the diary back under her mattress and ran to the front door. Her dad opened the door, and after the men exchanged pleasantries, he stepped aside.

"Uncle Raj!" She wrapped her arms around his waist.

Amy joined the trio. She handed the bag of fabric and accessories over to their guest. "Thank you again for doing this."

Raj peeked in the bag and pulled out the sparkly white fabric, weaving it through his fingers. "Oh my goodness! Leah, you are going to look like a princess in this."

"Cadence will be the princess. I'm just a snowflake."

" _Just_ a snowflake? Nonsense. You will be the most beautiful snowflake on that stage, I'll make sure of that." He rummaged in the bag and extracted a package of diamond-like beads.

"I was going to make a necklace too."

Raj pulled the package away when Amy attempted to grab it. "You enjoy your family time tomorrow. I'll take care of it."

"But..."

"No buts. It's my pleasure. Anyway, I should get going so you can enjoy the rest of your evening. I will see you tomorrow," he promised, looking pointedly at Leah.


	27. Chapter 27

The Coopers arrived at the arcade an hour behind schedule. Sheldon and Amy had waited impatiently outside Leah's bedroom door, as she took her time getting dressed for their family fun day. She finally emerged wearing the Pac-Man t-shirt Sheldon had purchased especially for the occasion and a sullen expression on her face. She had shuffled her feet to the car then spent the entire drive staring out the window with her bottom lip stuck out, as her parents carried on an animated discussion about their destination, which they hoped she would join but never did.

She sighed heavily when her mom parked the car and slowly slid out of the backseat, unlike her dad who jumped out the moment the car stopped moving. He was like a little kid, bouncing from foot to foot on the sidewalk, as he waited for his wife and daughter.

"I hear they even have an original 1980 The Empire Strikes back pinball machine," he exclaimed.

"Leah, which game are you most excited for?" Amy asked.

The little girl shrugged. They exchanged a worried look over her head as she stood between them and placed her hands in theirs. Sheldon nearly ran towards the video game character mural-covered building, tugging his wife and daughter behind.

A cacophony of beeps and dings greeted them the moment they stepped through the door, and their eyes were drawn to a multitude of blinking lights and a brightly-colored star-patterned carpet. Leah's eyes widened at the large array of games, everything from a water gun target game, pinball, seated racing games, and classic coin-operated arcade terminals that were refit with token slots.

"I bet you're glad we came now," Sheldon murmured, as he himself stared in awe.

Leah nodded mutely as she spun around to take everything in. There were already several families, teens, and adults taking advantage of the offerings, but a few machines remained unused. She gravitated toward the Pac-Man terminals.

"I'll purchase some tokens," Amy announced.

As they awaited her return, Leah stepped up to claim her machine. She flinched when the male teen at the next terminal swore and stormed off.

Sheldon claimed the vacated machine and snorted as the teen's score flashed across the screen. "I could do better blindfolded."

Amy returned with a small bag filled with tokens. "This should last us all afternoon." She handed two to Leah.

The little girl bent down to place the silver discs in the slot then paused. "That boy left his tickets."

Sheldon scanned the room and located the person in question by the basketball hoop. "I don't think he's coming back for them, so they're yours now. If we win enough, you can choose a prize. Just don't go for the squirt flower," he cautioned.

Leah furrowed her brow. "Huh?"

"Daddy once traded in some ski ball tickets for a squirt flower."

"Why?"

"I thought it would make a great gag."

Amy snickered. "Well, it did."

"It wasn't supposed to be a joke on me," he pouted.

At Leah's confused look, Amy filled her in. "Daddy asked me to smell the flower in his lapel. I refused because I knew it wasn't a real flower, but he wouldn't let it go. When I leaned over to sniff it, the flower popped off, and water ran down his suit coat."

Leah giggled, and soon Amy joined in. Sheldon looked down at them with his arms crossed over his chest. "It wasn't funny then, and it's not funny now."

His companions laughed even harder. Tears streamed down Amy's face as she tried to control herself. "I'm sorry, Sheldon," she choked out between giggles.

He scowled then softened as he realized his previously-sullen daughter looked happier than she had all week. He met his wife's eyes and tilted his head toward their progeny.

When her laughing fit was under control, Leah removed the tickets and handed them to her mom then slipped the tokens into the slot.

"I'll let you practice with the controls, then we'll have a competition," Sheldon promised.

Leah pressed the start button then grabbed the joystick and attempted to maneuver Pac-Man around the maze. Within a minute, two ghosts cornered her, and she lost a life. With a look of determination, she persisted until she got used to the feel of the joystick.

After 20 minutes of gameplay, Leah announced, "I think I have it mastered. Let's compete, Daddy."

Sheldon accepted two tokens from his wife, slipped them into the slot, and rolled up his sleeves. Father and daughter faced each other and shook hands.

"May the best player win!" Leah shouted as they simultaneously pressed their buttons to begin the game.

Amy stood back, her eyes bouncing from screen to screen, as if she was watching a tennis match. She cheered as Leah's yellow pie chart-shaped blob of pixels gobbled up a power pellet and chased the blue ghosts through the maze then did the same when Sheldon performed the same actions. Leah finished the level seconds before her dad, their scores identical.

Twenty minutes later, they were still at it. Leah had lost one life but was ahead of Sheldon in terms of points. It was anyone's game. A crowd had started to gather around, but the duo was so focused on their respective screens that they didn't even notice.

"I think the kid will beat that tall guy!" Someone shouted.

"Maybe he'll let her win," another one hollered.

"That's my husband and daughter you're talking about," Amy addressed the young man. "My husband is a competitor. Trust me, there is no way he will _let_ her win. If she does, it will be because of her skill." She turned back to the action on the screens.

Another 20 minutes later, and a winner was declared.

"How does it feel to be bested by a child?" A teen snickered.

"She only beat me by 250 points," Sheldon huffed.

Leah tugged on her dad's shirt. "Daddy, are you mad at me?"

"I'm mad at myself, but I'm so proud of you! You beat my previous high score by 2750 points."

"Then you also beat your high score," she pointed out.

"That is true. I suppose we're both winners."

Leah turned back to her screen and watched as her score blinked on the screen. "Daddy, I have the highest score on my machine!" She exclaimed, as she entered her initials next to it.

He hoisted her in the air briefly, and the spectators all cheered. Amy wrapped her arm around her husband's waist as Leah waved to the crowd. A few patrons whipped out their phones and snapped a few pictures.

Sheldon lowered Leah to the floor then placed his lips near Amy's ear. "Don't forget the tickets," he whispered, as their daughter fielded questions and comments.

"I've never even come close to that score, and I've been playing off and on for over 30 years!" A woman about Amy's age marveled. "You must have a lot of experience with these games."

"I play a lot on my dad's old Gameboy, so I know the ghosts' patterns. I don't have much experience with joysticks, but once I got the hang of it, it was easy to control."

When the crowd dispersed, the Coopers stepped away from the machines and counted the tickets.

"All that work, and we barely have enough for a whistle," Sheldon sighed.

"We still have three more hours until we need to be home. What would you like to try next?" Amy asked.

Leah scanned the room. "The racing games! Mommy, will you play against me?"

"Of course!"

As mother and daughter were seated behind the wheels of their respective stationary race cars, Sheldon snapped a few pictures of them on his phone then went in search of the pinball machines.

Leah revved her engine as the countdown started. "You're going down, punk!" She giggled.

Amy's mouth dropped at her daughter's choice of words. Her shock put her at a disadvantage, as the announcer shouted '1!', and Leah's car took off, leaving her mom behind in a cloud of virtual exhaust. Amy stomped on the gas pedal and spun her steering wheel around hairpin turns, but it wasn't enough to save her. Leah crossed the finish line first.

The youngest Cooper triumphantly held up her string of tickets. "I win!"

Amy hugged her. "You did great!"

"You did a great job too, Mommy. Have you played before?"

"Daddy took me to an arcade a couple of times while we were dating."

"What about when you were my age?"

Amy shook her head sadly. "No."

"Why not?"

"Grandma Joan didn't think an arcade was the kind of place a child should frequent."

"Why not?"

"That's a good question. Unfortunately, I don't have a good answer."

"Did Grandma Joan ever let you do anything fun?"

Amy stared off into the distance. "Sure," she answered, unconvincingly. She placed her measly two tickets and Leah's winnings in her purse with the others then asked brightly, "What else shall we try?"

They wandered between the game terminals, occasionally stopping to play one. Sheldon joined them after engaging in a victorious epic pinball battle between himself and another patron. Just as his daughter had earlier, he held up his tickets triumphantly.

Sheldon tallied their winnings. "I think we may actually have enough for you to get a decent prize."

Leah peered into the glass housing the prizes. She bypassed the cheap plastic whistles and squirt flowers to the higher-ticketed items.

"See anything you want, Monkey, or shall we save up for something even better?"

"I'm not sure." Leah surveyed the items she could afford then moved over to the currently-unattainable items. She caught the attention of the bubble gum popping girl with pink hair behind the counter. "Can I see this one better?" She asked, pointing to the item in question.

The girl opened the cabinet and handed it to her without a word. Leah turned the spy camera over in her hands, examining the lens and flash. She set it down then scooted back to the lower-ticketed items.

Sheldon set the tiny abandoned camera on his hand and examined it, much as Leah had moments earlier. "I can't believe these places are still stocking this cheap junk," he muttered.

"Says the man who chose a squirt flower," Amy snickered.

"Hey, that was 14 years ago. You need to let it go."

She stood on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. "I can't help teasing you, but I'll try not to bring it up again."

"Thank you."

In the meantime, Leah had asked the pink-haired girl to pull out a second item.

Sheldon plunked the camera back on the counter and squinted at the writing on the rainbow-covered book his daughter held. "What's that?"

"It's a diary."

"A diary? You saw all those cool prizes and chose a book to write in? He asked incredulously.

"I think a diary is a great choice for Leah. I was her age when I got my first one," Amy admitted.

"I suppose that unlike the camera, this won't break the first time you use it. Well, maybe that lock will, not that this type of lock does much good."

"Why not?" Leah asked.

"For starters, a laser could cut through it in seconds, not to mention these keys will unlock any lock of that caliber. They're interchangeable."

Leah fingered the tiny gold-colored lock and silently thanked a diety her parents didn't believe in that her mom's diaries weren't equipped with them. Or were there some? After inspecting it closely, she handed her tickets over to the girl. If what her dad said was true about the interchangeable keys, she now possessed the tool necessary to unlock any of her mom's diaries, in the event she would need it.

xxx

"Can we go again next week?" Leah asked as they headed home.

"I'm not sure about next week, but we'll definitely come back," Sheldon promised.

Leah hopped out of the car hugging her new diary to her and waited impatiently on the steps as her dad unlocked the front door.

"Since Uncle Raj won't be here for 90 minutes, can I read a little?"

"Daddy and I are ordering takeout, so you can read until the food gets here."

Leah slipped into her bedroom, shutting the door partway. She set her new rainbow diary on her nightstand then pulled out the red diary out from under the mattress and settled back against her pillow.

 _February 18, 1991_

 _I'm back from an overnight stay at Grandma's. I had to wake up really early to make it to school on time, but it was worth it. Yesterday was one of the best times I've had in my life. Grandma spoiled me with homemade gingersnaps. We also ordered pizza, and she even let me have soda. Mother never lets me drink anything carbonated._

 _The harp lesson went well. I learned the notes then watched Grandma's fingers expertly pluck the strings as she played a beautiful melody. When it was my turn, she guided me with her hands during the first song then watched my form as I attempted to play it from memory. I fumbled my way through it, but Grandma told me not to worry. The harp is a difficult instrument to play, and I had done very well for my first real try._

 _I convinced Mother to allow me to go back for a second lesson next weekend._

Leah tucked the book back in its hiding place then removed the tiny key from the ring on the gold lock of the rainbow diary. She inserted it and turned. When the lock popped open, she slid it off and opened the diary to the first page then flipped through the empty pages.

She thought of writing about her day at the arcade but hesitated. Was it really that easy to tamper with the lock as her dad said? Even though she had nothing to hide, she decided to wait until she found out. Tomorrow she would locate the October 2018 diary, and if there was time, she would search for locked diaries, but first she needed to get through the rest of the day. She had enjoyed the time at the arcade so much that she almost forgot about her need to read and hoped the outing with Uncle Raj would distract her once again.


	28. Chapter 28

After dinner Leah pulled a hoodie over her t-shirt then packed a tote bag with snacks, a scarf, hat, and mittens.

"He's here!" Sheldon called out. He waited by the door until their guest rang the doorbell then swung it open.

Raj stepped into the foyer. "Hello, Sheldon."

"Hello. Leah and Amy are finishing up in the kitchen." He peered down at the white sparkly fabric peeking out from bag his friend clutched in his hand.

"It's Leah's costume. I worked on it all afternoon, but it was worth every minute." Sheldon reached for the bag, but Raj pulled it away. "Soon. I want to reveal it to all of you simultaneously."

"Fine," Sheldon grumbled, as he led his friend to the kitchen.

"Hi, Rajesh!" Amy greeted him warmly.

Leah dropped her bag on the floor and ran to him. "Uncle Raj!" Just as her father had a minute earlier, she attempted to peek in the bag, but he held it just out of reach then set it on the counter. With a flourish, he slowly pulled the garment from the bag, as the three Coopers watched.

"Raj! It's absolutely beautiful!" Amy murmured.

Father and daughter stared opened mouthed, Leah finding her voice first. "This is much more stunning than I expected. Mommy, look! He sewed glittery beads into the fabric!"

Raj beamed. "But that's not all. You haven't even seen the accessories yet." He handed Leah the costume then rummaged in the bag, producing a glittery beaded necklace, complete with three tiny snowflake charms dangling in front.

Amy eyed the charms curiously. "Where did..."

"After I strung the beads, I felt it needed a little something extra, so I made a quick trip to the new craft store on Raymond."

"What do we owe you for the charms?" Sheldon asked, finally coming out of his trance. Raj waved his hand in a 'forget about it' gesture. "But now we're in your debt." He reached into his pocket, extracting his wallet.

"Sheldon, really. It was nothing. And I promise you don't owe me any favors. I haven't had a chance to work on a project like this for many years. That is thanks enough."

"But..."

"Thank you, Rajesh," Amy interjected. "This is gorgeous."

"And that's not all." He handed the necklace to Amy and pulled out a sparkly tiara.

Leah's eyes widened. "Mommy! It's just like yours!"

"I was okay with the charms, but a tiara? Isn't that a bit much?"

"I have to agree with Sheldon. I love the idea, but it must have cost you a fortune."

"It did, but I'm only lending it to Leah until after the pageant."

Sheldon furrowed his brow. "Why do you need a tiara?"

"Why indeed," he answered, mysteriously.

An awkward silence filled the room. Leah looked from her mom to her dad to Raj and back again, her eyes finally resting on the tiara. "May I try it on?" She asked, timidly.

Raj looked to his friends, silently asking for their approval.

"Of course. In fact, Leah, why don't you try on the whole outfit?" Amy suggested.

"Yay!"

When the little girl was out of earshot, Sheldon broached the subject again. "Raj, what's the deal with the tiara?"

"What? Can't a man buy something without his friends making a big deal about it?"

"If it were action figures, video games, or Comic-Con tickets he could, but this isn't the sort of thing a single man just purchases on a whim. Are you sure it wasn't meant as a gift for Leah?"

"Yes, now can we drop it?"

Sheldon and Amy exchanged a look. "We're sorry, Rajesh. If the topic makes you uncomfortable, we promise not to bring it up again."

"Maybe you promise..."

Amy gently elbowed her husband's side. "Sheldon."

"Fine. We both promise."

"Thank you."

They stood around awkwardly until Leah emerged a few minutes later.

"Wow!" Sheldon exclaimed. "You look like a mini version of Mommy on our wedding day."

Tears pricked Amy's eyes. "Oh, Monkey, you are beautiful!"

Leah twirled around slowly so the trio could take in the details. She ran to her uncle and wrapped her tiny arms around his waist. "I love it! If I believed in magic, this would be it. It's perfect. Thank you!"

"You are very welcome, young lady."

Leah gave Raj one last squeeze before pulling away. "I should get ready." She plucked her tote bag from her chair and carried it down the hall.

"Monkey, let's leave the bag here. The costume is not going to the desert with you," Amy called after her.

"I know. I wanted to bring a book."

"It's already getting dark," Sheldon pointed out.

"I'll bring my booklight," her muffled voice replied from within her room.

She quickly, but carefully, removed the pieces of her costume, draped the snowflake-shaped fabric over her desk chair, and set the accessories on her desk. When she was dressed in her regular clothes again, she slipped her hand under the mattress and removed the red diary. She planned to sneak in a bit of reading before she returned it to its place in the library tomorrow. After burying it under the scarf and hat, she returned to the kitchen.

Sheldon and Amy waved from the front porch as Raj backed out of the driveway. He saluted them with two fingers from his brow as Leah waved back.

When the taillights turned the corner out of view, they stepped inside. The moment Sheldon turned the deadbolt, Amy faced her husband. "We're all alone now. Whatever shall we do to pass the time?" She asked seductively, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"We could watch a movie or read or..."

She spun him around to face her, pressing her hips against his and stretched up so her lips brushed his ear. "I was thinking of something more like this." Her lips trailed down his neck and made their way back up to his ear where they nibbled his lobe. She felt him shiver against her until he suddenly pulled away. "What's wrong?"

He blinked and looked away. "Um... Your birthday is next week. Shouldn't we wait? The anticipation will enhance the experience."

"A week is a long time to wait when a woman is horny for her man."

Sheldon gulped as Amy grabbed his hips and rubbed herself against him. The growing bulge in his pants belied his protests. "All the more reason to wait. Then you'll really be needing me badly," he rasped.

"I'll want you just as much then as I do now," she promised.

He averted his eyes. "That may be, but I don't think tonight is a good time."

She took a half step back. "Sheldon, is something wrong? Do you not find me attractive anymore, now that I'm almost 45? You're only going to make love to me on my birthday out of a contractual obligation?"

"What?! No, of course not. You know how much I enjoy our lovemaking sessions. And your annual birthday gift is tradition now, not an obligation." He took her hands in his. "Amy, you are just as beautiful as the day we met, maybe even more so."

"Then what is it?"

He sighed and led her to the living room, gesturing to the couch. When they were seated, they faced each other, knees touching. She looked at him expectantly as he processed his thoughts.

"Ever since we told Leah about how... how babies are made, the topic makes me feel... I don't know... just... for lack of a better word, weird. No, that's not it. Oh, dear Lord, I can't even articulate my thoughts."

"Leah's not here now," she soothed.

"I know, but did you notice how she looked toward our bedroom when she asked what we'll do while she's out with Raj? It's like she expects us to have sex. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Isn't it better that she's okay with that aspect of our relationship rather than trying to prevent it?"

"But she's only eight. Who knows what is going on in her mind. Does she picture us naked?" He shuddered.

Amy stroked his arm soothingly. "I sincerely doubt it. Leah's a very curious child, that's all."

He leaned back and sighed. "I hope you're right."

xxx

Leah watched closely as Raj set up the telescope. He explained that they could study the stars while they waited for the meteor shower to begin.

"Uncle Raj? Did you lie to my parents?"

"What would I lie to them about?"

"About the tiara. Did you tell them you're just letting me borrow it because of what my dad said about being in your debt?"

"I didn't lie."

"Then why did you buy it?"

Raj turned the telescope eyepiece a millimetre to the right, peered through the lens, nodded with satisfaction, then turned to his young companion. "I met someone."

"A princess who lost her tiara?"

He shook his head. "No, a woman who recently started working at the university. Actually, we didn't exactly meet. We passed each other in the hall a few times. She's an astrophysicist too."

"What's her name?"

"Felicia," he murmured dreamily.

Leah watched the array of emotions flicker across his face - infatuation, wonder, fear. "Why did you buy a tiara for someone you don't know?"

"Because she's beautiful and wears the latest fashions. She will probably think she's out of my league. I thought if I could present her with something extravagant, she would take notice."

Leah bit her lip in concentration. "Uncle Raj, did you buy other women expensive gifts when you barely knew them?"

"Only Jessica, Kimberly, Juanita, Chloe, and Emily."

"I thought you and Emily were together for a while."

"No, this was a different Emily."

Leah's expression turned serious. "I see."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but monetary gestures only bring pleasure in the short term. Did you love any of these women?"

"I thought I did at the time, but I didn't date any of them long enough to really get to that point."

"Because they took the gifts and left you?"

Raj stumbled to the flat red rock holding their supplies and took a sip of water from his thermos. He set it down slowly as Leah watched. "Yes," he answered simply.

Leah hopped up on the rock and patted the empty spot next to her. When Raj joined her, she waited a beat then spoke. "Don't give that woman the tiara. I'm not saying that because I want to keep it. I'm saying it because I want you to keep it for when you have a daughter."

"I don't even have a girlfriend. I'll probably never have children," he sighed.

"You don't know that. You just haven't found the right person yet. My parents were a little older when they conceived me. You will make a great dad some day."

"You're just saying that."

"I know you will. You enjoyed putting my costume together. When I was three, I remember how you pretended to be a pony and let me ride on your back. My parents trust you to bring me out here to the desert..."

"That may be, but it doesn't matter because I'll probably be alone forever. I don't have luck with women."

"Just be yourself. No more expensive gifts for people you just met."

"That's easier said than done."

"How about signing up with a dating website?"

"I tried that. Remember? That's how I met Emily."

"It didn't work out, but that doesn't mean you can't try again, or maybe one of my classmates' divorced moms is looking for a relationship."

"Why are you trying so hard to find me a girlfriend?"

"You helped my parents find each other. I want to return the favor."

"That's very sweet of you, but..."

"No buts." Leah looked up at the stars briefly then back at her uncle. "You're coming to my pageant, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She steepled her fingers. "Excellent."

Raj peered at the little girl. It was dark, but he could make out a glimmer in her eyes, the same look a certain theoretical physicist had when he was scheming.

"Promise me you won't give the tiara to that woman, or any woman, unless you have been together for as long as my parents were when my dad bought my mom's tiara," she requested, shaking him out of his trance.

"I promise if you promise not to tell your parents about this discussion."

"I promise." Leah crooked her little finger. They pinky swore then leaned back and gazed into the night sky.

"What time should we expect to see some action?" Leah asked a few minutes later.

Raj consulted his phone. "About 20 minutes." He climbed down and peered through the telescope, once again adjusting the settings.

Leah decided to use the opportunity to do a little reading. She set her booklight next to her and flipped through the pages, determined to find something interesting. Two weeks after her mom's entry about her first harp lesson, she found what she was looking for.

 _March 3, 1991_

 _Last spring when I begged Mother for a pet, she adamantly refused, stating I was too young to care for a another creature. Now that a whole year has passed, I decided to try again. I overheard our neighbor, Mrs. Chambers, tell Mother that her cat had kittens, so it was the perfect chance. I must have caught her in a really good mood because she agreed._

 _The kittens are all so cute! I had a difficult time deciding which one to take home, but one little furball made sure I wasn't leaving without her. She's sleeping on my pillow as I write. I still need a name for her. I'm thinking something science related..._

"What are you reading?" Raj asked, trying to peer over the top of the book.

Leah slammed it shut. "Um... I'm reading about a cat."

"Is it Puss in Boots?"

She shook her head no. "It's a real cat." She shoved the diary back in the bag. "What's viewable in the lens?" She asked, changing the subject.

Raj stared at the bag containing the mysterious book. "Oh... Um... I have it set on Venus. Would you like to take a look?"

"Yes, please."

xxx

Amy snuggled closer to her husband as they sat on the couch sipping the remnants of hot chocolate. Images flickered across the TV screen, but she barely noticed the action.

When the commercials came on, he turned to her. "Are you enjoying the movie?"

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I just can't get into it."

"Me neither," he admitted.

"But you love The Flash."

"Not this time. Who's idea was it to cast that kid in the role? He is nothing like Ezra Miller. The franchise is ruined."

Amy set her empty mug on her coaster. "We can watch something else, or do something else. My earlier offer is still on the table."

"We need to finish what we started. You know I need closure." She nuzzled his neck and pressed her lips to his most sensitive spot. "Amy, the movie will be back soon."

She pulled her lips away slightly. "You said we need to finish what we started. Earlier this evening, I started this." The moment the words were out of her mouth, she resumed her ministrations.

The movie returned, and Sheldon attempted to focus, as the tip of Amy's tongue drew equations down the length of his neck to his collarbone.

"Newton's 2nd law, Young's modulus, relative velocity," he murmured. "You naughty Vixen," he muttered, pausing the DVR.

He threw his head back and gave into the sensation. He felt her smile against his skin and her fingertips slither up his shirts. Urged on by his moans, she released her lips and straddled him. His hands gravitated towards her breasts, touching her through her multiple layers. One hand snaked out of his shirt and deftly unbuttoned her cardigan. He helped her shrug out of it then unbuttoned her blouse, exposing her cherry red bra.

"You're wearing too many clothes," she pouted.

He slipped off both his shirts in one swift move then set his hands back on her mounds, rolling her nipples with his fingertips. She threaded her fingers through his hair, arching backwards to allow him even better access. Pushing one cup aside, he set her breast free. She mewled as his tongue found its target and began rocking against him. Moments later he reached for her hips and stilled her.

"What's wrong?" She panted.

"We should probably take this to the bedroom."

Before she could protest, he held her tightly to him and lifted himself off the couch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, as he carried her to the master bedroom then set her gently on the bed.

"Where are you going?" She asked, as he sprinted into the hall.

"To get our clothes."

"Hurry back!" She sighed in frustration. He returned moments later with the garments, tossed them in the hamper, shut the door, and rushed to the bed.

"You're beautiful," he murmured, hovering over her. He lowered his head and caught her lips. She kissed him back fervently, her tongue seeking entrance, which he readily accepted. Without detaching his mouth, he rolled them onto their sides.

Amy ran her hands along his bicep, his hands in her hair, as their tongues continued their dance.

Amy sighed again when Sheldon stilled. "What's wrong now?"

"I heard a car door."

She cocked her ear toward the window. "I don't hear anything. It's probably just the neighbors."

He listened for a full minute then relaxed. "I think you're right this time, but next time we may not be so lucky."

"Sheldon, Leah's not due back for another," she consulted the clock, "two hours. We have plenty of time." He placed a light peck on her lips and disentangled himself. "Now where are you going?"

"To gather our pajamas. We can't be too careful." He approached the dresser and pulled out his Saturday pajama bottoms.

She propped herself on her elbow. "So that's it? A brief makeout session because you're afraid our daughter will catch us in the act?"

"Actually, I just want to be prepared. We can still enjoy our evening." He handed her a short nightgown. "If you remove your clothes and slip into this, I can still access all areas in need of stimulation." He kicked off his pants and briefs and slipped an undershirt on. "And you will have access too." He tossed the discarded clothes into the hamper and faced her.

She stared at his lower half and licked her lips. "If this makes you more comfortable, I'm willing to try."

"It will. Thank you for understanding." He placed his still-folded pajama bottoms on his nightstand then slipped under the covers.

Amy stood and slowly removed her blouse. Next she unzipped her skirt, letting it slip to the floor. She sat on the edge of the bed and leisurely rolled down her tights then stood to face him in only her underwear, her left breast still peeking out of the silky fabric. Just as slowly as she had with the other garments, she unhooked her bra and tossed it onto the bed.

Sheldon eyed her hungrily. He lunged for her, nearly ripping off the one remaining piece of clothing then pulled her on top of him. Amy reached blindly for her nightgown.

"No. Leave it off," he commanded hoarsely.

"But the plan..."

He cut her off with a passionate kiss. She waved her arms wildly then surrendered to him.

 **A/N: It's been almost one year since I started writing this story. I wasn't sure if it had outrun its course or if my readers were still interested in it, so I used the new polling feature on Instagram earlier this week. The majority voted to continue rather than start a new story, so be prepared for even more chapters!**

 **Thank you all so much again for sticking around.**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your kind words. To all my guest readers, I'm unable to respond to your reviews, but I appreciate all of you and am so happy you continue to enjoy this story.**

Sheldon blinked his eyes open, squinted at the alarm clock, and sighed. It was only 4 a.m. on a Sunday. He flipped over onto his other side and slung his arm over his wife's waist. Sometime in the night, the blanket must have slipped off, and he could feel her bare skin against his. His eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, dear Lord! Leah!" He shrieked, as he leaped out of bed. He ran to the door then back to his nightstand as the chilly air hit his naked body. He hopped on one leg, slipping the other into his pajama bottoms. When he was finally dressed, he ran into the hall.

"Sheldon?" Amy called after him. She slipped the nightgown over her head and followed her husband.

"We must have fallen asleep after our amorous activities and didn't even wait for Leah to get home last night. Did something happen to her? Are she and Raj still out there in the desert, stranded?" He panicked.

"I'm sure they're fine," Amy soothed, though a small part of her had the same scary thought running through her head.

Cautiously, Sheldon opened his daughter's bedroom door. He crept toward her bed with Amy on his heels. His hand felt along the mattress and connected with a child-size mass. "She's here. Oh, thank goodness," he murmured. They tiptoed out of the room. "How did we not hear her come in?" He asked, when they returned to their room.

"Maybe Raj is teaching her ninja stealth skills."

"Amy, be serious."

"I'm sorry. That wasn't funny. We'll just need to ask her when she wakes up."

"No. I'm going to ask Raj. He was responsible for her." He picked up his phone from his nightstand.

"Sheldon, it's too early. We'll call him later."

He ignored her protests and speed dialed his friend. "Amy, do you hear something?"

She sat up and cocked her ear toward the hall. "It sounds like a phone ringing." She turned her head to her nightstand. "And it's not mine."

"Hello?" Raj's groggy voice answered into Sheldon's ear at the same time as the ringing stopped.

"Raj, would you mind telling me why Leah's in her bed, and Amy and I have no recollection of her getting home?"

"Dude, I'm sorry. We got back late and didn't want to disturb you."

"So you dropped her off and let her fend for herself? Did you at least make sure she got in the door okay?"

"I didn't drop her off. I came in with her, waited until she was dressed in her pajamas, tucked her in, and fell asleep on your couch. I'm still here."

Sheldon covered the mouth piece. "Raj is here," he whispered to his wife. He uncovered the phone and addressed his friend again. "Thank you, Raj. That was very responsible of you, but don't ever do that again."

Amy moved her ear closer to the phone to hear both sides of the conversation.

"So are you thankful or upset? I'm getting mixed signals," Raj wondered.

"I'm relieved that you didn't just take off, but you scared us half to death. Next time wake us up if you need to. I don't care how late it is," Sheldon insisted.

"I'm very sorry. Now can I get some more sleep?"

"Of course. Thank you again." Sheldon tapped the 'End Call' button and settled back against his pillow.

"See? Everything's fine. Let's get a little more sleep too," Amy suggested, resting her head on his chest.

"Raj is more responsible than we are, and we're Leah's parents. We should have stayed up until she returned," he fretted.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I think you subconsciously knew she was in good hands, or you'd have been pacing the hall."

"I suppose that's true. Thank you." He leaned over and kissed her cheek then nestled back against the bedding.

In what felt like mere minutes later, but was really three hours, Sheldon awoke to a mouth-watering smell. "What on earth?" He muttered to himself.

Amy stirred. "What's wrong?"

"That smell."

She tilted her head toward the door. "It smells like bacon and eggs. Aww! Rajesh must have made us breakfast."

He groaned. "Bacon and eggs on Sunday?"

"Sheldon, I know it's not bacon and eggs day, but please just forgo the schedule for once and just appreciate all that Raj has done for us."

"Alright," he sighed. "Just this once. Next Sunday we're back to pancakes."

They donned their robes and followed the scent. Seashell-shaped cloth napkins were already in place on the table next to three glasses of orange juice.

Amy peeked over her friend's shoulder as he plated each dish perfectly. "Rajesh, you didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"It was no trouble. It was the least I could do after scaring you."

"Well, thank you. It looks and smells delicious."

He set the plates down then looked toward the hallway. "Should I wake Leah?"

"Let's allow her to sleep as long as she needs. We can make her something later. Why don't you join us?" Sheldon offered.

"Oh, I don't want to impose."

"It's not an imposition. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, Sheldon."

Sheldon inspected the items on his plate. Three slices of bacon sat perfectly parallel to each other next to, but not touching, a perfectly symmetrical scoop of scrambled eggs. It wasn't pancakes, but it was near perfection.

"Any big plans today?" Raj asked, after swallowing his first bite.

"We're filming a mini episode of Fun with Flags for Leah's class," Sheldon informed him, without looking up from his plate, as he attempted to cut a slice of bacon into three equal pieces.

"Oh, that's right. I can take Leah to a movie or something to get her out of the house. I promise I will bring her home at a decent hour."

"She's been looking forward to reading while we film, but we can ask her," Amy replied.

"We struggled to convince her to go to the arcade yesterday. I like reading too, but what kid doesn't jump at the chance to play video games?" Sheldon asked, baffled.

Raj set down his fork and lowered his voice. "You know, Leah was acting a little odd last night."

Sheldon finally looked up. "Odd how?"

"She was reading about a cat."

Sheldon snorted. "Leah will read just about anything. I wouldn't consider that odd."

"You didn't let me finish. She was very secretive. When I asked her about it, she gave me a very vague answer then stuffed the book into her bag and changed the subject."

Amy furrowed her brow. "Did you happen to see the title?"

He shook his head in the negative. "I'm sorry. It was too dark."

"Well, I'm not worried. At least it's not a sex book."

Sheldon picked up his fork and shoveled a forkfull of eggs in his mouth. The conversation was over for him, but Amy wasn't satisfied. Something strange was going on with their daughter, and she intended to find out what it was.

xxx

Sheldon knelt down to Leah's height. "Last chance to go to the movies with Uncle Raj."

"Maybe another time. I want to read today," she informed him.

"Even if Cadence and Dylan come?" Amy asked.

"I'm not in the mood for a movie today. Maybe next time."

Amy embraced their friend. "Thank you so much, Rajesh, for all you've done for us. We really appreciate it."

"It was no trouble at all."

As her parents waved goodbye, Leah watched as he headed for the Hofstadter house. She hoped they would take him up on his offer. He was so lonely, and she felt bad. If she wasn't so intent on finding the diary detailing her conception, she would have joined him in a heartbeat. Shoulders slumped, she followed her parents the kitchen.

Sheldon opened his laptop and reread the script he had prepared earlier in the week. "I think you and your class will really enjoy this one." Leah scooted her chair closer, but he shut the lid before she had a chance to read. "No peeking. We want you to be just as surprised as your classmates."

"Fine. You haven't had a chance to do a run through. Does that mean you're going to start earlier?"

"We're only filming one episode, so we'll have plenty of time if we start at 1 o'clock, as planned," he informed her.

Leah's eyes drifted to the wall clock. Fifty-five more minutes until she could begin her search in the library. Amy followed her daughter's gaze and frowned. What was in this cat book that was so urgent? She didn't want to admit what Raj had told them because she could lose her trust but needed to say something.

"How will you stay busy this afternoon while Daddy and I are busy?"

Leah looked at her suspiciously. "I'm going to read. You know that."

"A book from school?" Amy pressed.

Leah squirmed in her seat. "No." She caught the odd expressions her parents sent each other and relaxed when they dropped the subject.

At 12:45, while they were setting up in the living room, Leah proceeded to her bedroom and extracted the red diary from its hiding place. She peeked at the page where Raj had interrupted her and found the name of her mom's kitten. It had been killing her all night not knowing. She skimmed through the rest of the pages. Now she had closure and could return the diary.

It was now 12:57. She had just enough time to get to the library without disrupting her parents. She slipped the diary into her waistband and hid her diary key in her sock, just in case. Once in the library, she debated keeping the door open or shutting it. She decided to compromise and shut it partway.

The climb up the ladder got easier each time. She returned the first diary and made sure the book in front was perfectly flush with the rest. Now to locate one from October 2018. She remembered exactly where the diary detailing her mom's pregnancy issues sat and determined this one would be two spaces before it. Jackpot! And even better was that it wasn't locked. She would have to test her dad's theory of these keys fitting in any small lock another time.

She climbed down and flipped through the pages. There was an entry from October 10 then nothing until October 15, the day after her parents' anniversary. She hoped they were just so busy that her mom didn't have time to write and that maybe everything was recorded a day later. After replacing the text book in front of the hole and moving the ladder back, she lay back on the couch and began to read.

 _October 15, 2018_

 _We're flying home after another whirlwind weekend. I honestly don't know how we pulled off the wedding on top of the usual convention activities last year. I didn't even have time to write until now. Not that I'm complaining._

 _We arrived at Le Westin Montreal Thursday evening. The association has great taste in hotels. I was a little sad that we wouldn't be spending our anniversary in Houston but understand why they change locations each year. We had dinner in a cozy little restaurant the concierge recommended then walked around the heart of the city. Old Montreal, or Vieux Montréal, as the locals call it, is beautiful. We stopped into the Basillica de Notre Dame, which is absolutely stunning. The streets were lined with horse and carriages waiting to take lovers on a tour of the city. Sheldon freaked out a bit when one of the horses turned his head suddenly and stared right at him. Needless to say, we did not go for a ride._

 _It was great to catch up with everyone. Friday night dinner was reminiscent of our first convention, minus Justin and Trina. Anna informed us they recently became parents to twin girls and excitedly showed us countless pictures. She's one proud grandma. I didn't share that Sheldon and I started trying two months ago._ _When she congratulated us on one year of marriage, Sheldon asked her to hold off on congratulations until the earth had completed its 365-day rotation around the sun. Other than that incident, they got along just fine. I'm glad the whole flag design fiasco is behind us._

 _Saturday morning we traveled to city hall for the new flag unveiling. Then back at the hotel, we performed our annual mini Fun with Flags show for the local TV station. Sheldon was a little concerned that they would expect us to translate into French, but the crew assured us they would add subtitles for the viewers. Our segment was on the US/Canadian relationship and how the flag association has helped bring people together from all over the two countries._

 _Sundays are always sad with the convention coming to an end for another year, and yesterday was no exception. We participated in all the flag activities in the morning and early afternoon then helped Chad pack up his wares at the end of the day. We said goodbye to Frank and James, as they had flights to catch. Paul and Anna are staying until Friday to take in the rest of the tourist sites. Everyone congratulated us on one year of wedded bliss as we parted ways._

 _The one good thing about our anniversary falling on the last day was that we had the evening all to ourselves. We strolled down Rue Ste-Catherine to a fancy restaurant that served us a lovely seven-course meal. I thought about ordering myself a glass of wine but decided I didn't want to risk getting tipsy, not to mention wanting to be completely sober when we finished off the night alone in our room. It was probably also best to refrain from alcohol while we were trying to conceive._

 _The air took on a chill as we walked back hand in hand, as close together as humanly possible. It reminded me of our first convention in San Jose. I never would have imagined then, just two years ago, that we would be married. Sheldon has come a long way._

 _I was still shivering when we returned to our room. Sheldon offered to run me a hot bath. The hotel didn't provide bubble bath, so I poured in some shampoo. Sheldon was wary at first, but it worked just fine. More than just fine. It felt heavenly to just relax after a long, action-filled weekend. It got even better when he took a washcloth and lathered me all over._

 _I kept coaxing him to join me, but he said he was happy to be in his dry pajamas. I don't know what came over me. Maybe it was giddiness over our anniversary, or maybe it was the idea of being in another country, but I grabbed the lapels of his pajama shirt and pulled him into the tub on top of me. For a moment I thought he was going to scold me for getting his clothes wet. I held my breath, expecting the worst as his eyes widened, and we stared at each other a moment. Before I knew it, his lips were on mine._

Leah set the diary on her lap. This was getting kind of weird. Her dad bathing her mom? Her mom getting her dad's clothes wet, and he didn't even care? They were acting like children. Sure her dad did some childish things like play video games and read comic books, but this seemed so silly. It didn't sound like her parents at all. She felt a little guilty reading about their private activities but couldn't stop herself.

 _When we paused for air, I helped him out of his soaked clothes. We changed position so I was seated between his legs, my back to him. He picked up where he left off with the washcloth. I leaned back against him when he soaped up my arms. I didn't want to leave, but the bath water quickly cooled. We toweled each other off then crawled under the covers, clinging to each other to keep warm. Soon we were kissing again, and one thing led to another._

Leah reread the last paragraph then turned the page, but there was nothing more from that entry. What happened next? Kissing led to what? Her conception? She sighed in frustration. Maybe the sex book would provide some insight. She tucked the diary in her waistband, hid it under her mattress, and retrieved the book from her nightstand.

Back in the library, she skipped over the anatomically correct drawings to the text. She was so focused that she didn't hear the sharp rap at the door.

"Leah?" Her mom asked softly, coming in to stand in front of her.

Leah dropped the book. "Are... Are you done recording?"

"Yes. Daddy's doing a little editing, but he'll be done soon too. What are you reading?" Leah reached down and wordlessly picked up the book. Amy tried to cover her surprise. This was no cat book. Her eyes quickly and subtly scanned the couch and coffee table for other reading materials. There were only a couple of superhero comic books. "Monkey, do you have other questions?"

Leah squirmed. "I do, but you said not to ask you anything personal."

Amy took a seat next to her daughter. "What did you expect to find in the book?" She asked gently.

"Does kissing lead to sex?" She blurted out.

Amy paused a beat before answering. "It can, but it depends."

"On what?"

"Other factors."

"Such as?"

Amy pulled her double helix charm from under her blouse and slid it across its chain several times before dropping it. "Well, one is location and setting. If a couple is kissing in public, they most likely won't have sex there."

"What about in a private place? If there's kissing involved, and no one else is there, will it lead to sex?"

"Sometimes."

"Why only sometimes?"

"The type of kiss can be a factor, but not always. Sometimes it can start off with an innocent kiss..." Her voice trailed off, and she resumed sliding the charm. "This is actually starting to get a little personal."

"Sorry," Leah mumbled.

"It's okay. I know how confusing this must be for you. I can try locating a book that might be more helpful, but I can't make any promises. How does that sound?"

"Okay. Thanks, Mommy."

Amy pulled her daughter into a hug. "Give us 15 minutes, then we'll all do a fun activity before dinner.

"Okay."

When Amy left to rejoin Sheldon in the living room, Leah remained seated. Her brain tried to piece together the snippet of new information. It wasn't solid proof that the kissing on her parents' one-year anniversary led to sex that night, but it would probably be the only information she would get. The fact that her conception happened that day would have to be enough to satisfy her. Still, she was confused about the specifics. The book they had given her was too basic for her taste. She turned around and gazed at the fourth shelf where the other diaries were hidden. Maybe one of them held more secrets to life's biological mysteries.


	30. Chapter 30

After lunch on Monday, Leah's class was hard at work preparing for the upcoming pageant. While Ms. Jackson put the finishing touches on her hand painted backdrop, the students worked in pairs or threes on mini projects that would enhance the scene.

Art was one of the few classes Leah truly enjoyed, as she didn't have to listen to her teachers drone on about topics she was well versed in. Ms. Jackson's class was the perfect place to recharge and express one's creativity. She had even encouraged her students to suggest projects, something that Leah herself had taken advantage of on a couple of occasions.

The teacher used the back of her hand to swipe a lock of long, dark hair out of her face, that had escaped her ponytail, a smear of white paint leaving a conspicuous trail down her cheek. As if realizing what she had done, she discreetly wiped her hands on her overalls then rubbed her cheek. Giving up on the mess she had made, she surveyed the students' progress by going around the room and chatting briefly.

"How's it going, girls?" She asked, when she reached Leah and Cadence.

Leah set her scissors and white paper snowflake on her desk. "Great, Ms. Jackson!"

"We should be finished by the end of class," Cadence added, as she precisely placed glittery beads on a nearly-completed creation.

"Excellent! We still have a few small projects to wrap up before Wednesday. I set the signup sheet on my desk." She carefully picked up one of the finished snowflakes by the edges. "Intricate, perfectly symmetrical, and the beads really make them sparkle. Very beautiful."

"Thank you," they replied, in unison.

"Ms. Jackson's so nice," Cadence commented when the teacher was out of earshot.

"She is. And so talented," Leah replied.

The girls paused their work to admire the moonlit, snowy backdrop leaning against the far wall. Each grade was performing a different act, and Ms. Jackson had painted a winter scene for each one. As Cadence picked up the gluestick, Leah turned her gaze back to their teacher. She studied the woman as she continued her rounds to the various stations. She had positive words for everyone, even the group that spilled glitter all over the floor.

Leah resumed her task. As she snipped the paper, transforming it into a work of art, an idea began to take form. She had thought of introducing Uncle Raj to one of her classemates' mothers, but this could be even better. Not only did Ms. Jackson have a very pleasant personality, she didn't appear to be high maintenance, unlike that Felicia woman at the university that her uncle felt was out of his league. Ms. Jackson would not need to be won over by a tiara, perhaps just a sweet man with artistic talents.

She would need to gather more information. What sort of person she was outside of school? What other hobbies did she have? Did she prefer a quiet evening at home or a night out with friends? She didn't notice any rings on her left hand. Did she take them off to avoid getting paint and glue on them, or was she unattached? That was the most important question of all.

Cadence added the last bead just as the bell rang. "Yay! We did it!" She cheered. The girls high fived then set the snowflakes on the table at the front of the room.

Leah sighed as her classmates filed out the door to their next class. They were working on multiplication again, a feat she had mastered two years ago. She could even multiply 3-digit numbers in her head. Third grade math was a waste of time. She supposed she could just do the work quickly then quietly sit at her desk formulating a plan to find out more about Uncle Raj's potential new girlfriend.

She joined the end of the line, taking one last glance over her shoulder into the art class. Ms. Jackson dragged the backdrop toward the door, presumably to transport it to the auditorium where the others already stood. Due to cutbacks in the California public school system, the poor thing probably had to haul everything herself. Unless she could get a little unpaid help from a certain student who wouldn't mind getting out of math class. They would both benefit from the arrangement.

"I can help you take the decorations," Leah offered.

"That's very kind, Leah, but there isn't much here. Don't you have another class to get to?"

"Not really. I know the content already."

"Tell you what. Let's check with your teacher. If she agrees to excuse you from class, I would be delighted to have you help."

"Okay."

Ms. Jackson followed Leah down the hall to Miss Banitt's classroom. The little girl poked her head into the open doorway. Everyone had already taken their seats, most already facing the blackboard, a few of her classmates rummaging in their desks for their notebooks and pencils. She tentatively knocked on the door, attracting the attention of 27 pairs of eyes.

Startled, Miss Banitt turned toward the sound. "Leah! I wondered where you were. Is everything alright?" She asked, meeting her student in the hall.

Ms. Jackson spoke up. "Faye, if you don't mind, Leah asked to help me move the props. If you need her to attend class, I completely understand."

Faye Banitt bit her lip. "I suppose that would be alright. We're just working on some simple multiplication problems today. Leah won't be missing anything she doesn't already know."

Leah grinned. "Thank you, Miss Banitt!"

"You're quite welcome. Enjoy yourself. I will see you tomorrow morning for geography. I can't wait to see your parents' video."

"Me either." Leah waved then accompanied Ms. Jackson back to the art room.

They filled a small cardboard box with paper snowflakes, snowflake garland, and snowflakes made of popsicle sticks and headed for the auditorium. Ms. Jackson led Leah to an alcove backstage where a box of snowman and candy cane cutouts from the kindergartners and first graders awaited them. She leaned the backdrop against the wall with the others and wiped the sweat from her brow.

Leah examined the painting closer. While the moon was the focal point, what drew her in were the tiny stars. They appeared to twinkle. It was almost like looking at the actual sky. An astronomer's dream.

"I love the painting. Did you use a picture for reference?"

"Yes, but not my own. I found some stock photos on NASA's website to help with the details. I tried taking pictures of the full moon with my phone, but the quality was poor. Part of that I blame on technology."

"What's the other part?"

"All the light pollution here. I love the big city life, but sometimes I miss the clear Montana skies of my childhood."

"You can see the stars clearly from Vasquez Rocks."

"Oh! I haven't thought to try going there at night."

"It's a great viewing place. I was just there on Saturday to watch the Geminid meteor shower."

"I'll keep it in mind for my next project."

"Maybe your boyfriend can take you there on a romantic star gazing date," Leah suggested.

Ms. Jackson opened her mouth then quickly shut it. Leah briefly caught a faraway look in her eyes before her teacher turned away and moved over to the doorway leading to the stage where she peeked out into the empty auditorium. "Leah, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can you sit in the middle seat of the front row and guide me while I try to center the backdrop? I want everything to look perfect."

"Okay." Leah squeezed past the teacher and skipped down the steps to the designated seat. She gestured to move right, a little back to the left, forward, and backward. Though she expertly gave directions, her mind was only half on task. The other part wondered what she said that caused her companion to change the subject. Could there be trouble in paradise with someone she was, or had been, romantically involved with? If she was attached and things were going well, she wouldn't have acted the way she did, right?

When the painting was perfectly aligned, Leah climbed the steps to the stage and surveyed the seats below. In less than 53 hours, the room would be packed with family and friends of the students of Pasadena Elementary. Among them would be Uncle Raj. There had to be a way to introduce him to Ms. Jackson. " _Think Cooper_ ," she instructed herself.

The students were informed they could get into their costumes in their homerooms the night of the pageant. Last year they had done the same, and it was so crowded with all 28 students and their parents that her dad led her into the hall where they could breathe. What if instead of the hall, they used Ms. Jackson's room? She taught all the grades and, therefore, didn't have a class of her own. The room would sit empty unless...

xxx

Amy passed the tray of chicken satay to her daughter. "How was school today, Monkey?"

"It was good."

"You watched our flag video? What did you think?" Sheldon asked, as he helped himself to some mee krob.

"Nope, that's for tomorrow."

He frowned. "Then how did you have a good day? Did the school finally change their curriculum and actually teach you something?"

Leah shook her head in the negative. "We worked on the decorations for the pageant, then I helped Ms. Jackson transfer them to the auditorium and got out of math class. Miss Banitt said it was okay. Are you mad?

"Not at all," Sheldon reassured her. "I would prefer if you could get the education you deserve, but this is better than staring out the window."

"I agree with Daddy. You know, when I was your age, I helped out in the library after school. It gave me a sense of purpose."

Leah nodded noncommittally. She already knew this after reading the diary. Time to change the subject before she said something that gave her away. "If two people have an admiration for something, but in different ways, what's the probability they will form an emotional connection?"

Amy set down her fork. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

Her parents shared a puzzled look. "Can you give us an example?" Amy asked.

Of course her mom wanted an example, and that's what she was going to get. There could be no mention of astronomy or art. Otherwise they may derail her plan. She had to think fast. "Umm, well, what if one person was in a band and another taught music."

"I suppose it's possible they may form an emotional bond over time. Kind of like how Daddy and I did with our love of science."

"Physics and biology coming together. Who would have seen that coming?" He marveled.

"I hope that answers your question, Monkey."

"Thanks, Mommy."

After dinner Leah retired to her room. For once she felt like she had accomplished something at school and was ready for a much-needed break. She dug the diary out from under her mattress, sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed with Coco the monkey at her side, and began to read.

 _October 18, 2018_

 _We just got back from our double date with Leonard and Penny. I've really missed hanging out with them. Sure, we see each other almost daily in the hall or even for the occasional dinner or game night here, but there's just a different vibe to going out._

 _We tried the new Mexican place on Colorado. They have such a huge selection. I was taking forever to decide, so Sheldon suggested we choose two different items and share. We went with the chicken enchiladas with mole and the carnitas burrito. Everything was to die for! Penny and Leonard opted for the appetizer sampler platter and mango margaritas. Penny shot me a puzzled look when I informed our waitress I was okay with just plain water. Normally I would have jumped at the chance to have a margarita. She knows me too well._

 _We hadn't told anyone we're trying to get pregnant. I mean, it's not like Sheldon is climbing on me every night. We've just stopped using birth control, I've started taking a prenatal vitamin, and I've been more mindful of what I ingest. We're not in a huge hurry. When it happens, it happens. Still, I felt it was time to say something. Leonard and Penny are our best friends, and they deserved to be the first to know._

 _"Oh, my God, you guys!" Penny shrieked._

 _I swear everyone in the restaurant whipped their heads around and stared. It was pretty comical. Sheldon shushed her and asked her to hold all congratulatory remarks until we actually have something to celebrate._

 _Things got awkward after that. Leonard has been wanting kids ever since they got married three years ago, and Penny continues to tell him she's not ready. They started arguing right there in the restaurant when Leonard commented how awesome it would be if we had kids the same age who were best friends._

 _Penny grabbed her coat and excused herself, saying she needed some fresh air. Sheldon and I sat there awkwardly. I slowly chewed the last few bites of my food, while occasionally stealing glances at Leonard. I felt so bad for him. He looked like a lost puppy. I tried to get Sheldon's attention, in the hopes he could say something to cheer him up, but he was too busy examining the tortilla chips._

 _I told Leonard I would check on Penny. I walked around the restaurant's exterior, panic setting in when I couldn't find her. I was about to call her cell, when I finally noticed her sitting on the steps of an abandoned coffee shop. Not knowing what to say, I sat next to her and smoothed down her hair. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and we stayed in that position for several minutes. The only sounds were the cars whizzing by and her sniffles._

 _When she finally lifted her head, I asked her if she wanted to talk about it. She told me that while Leonard hasn't actually been pressuring her to have kids, he's been sending her a lot of not-so-subtle hints. On their last trip to the zoo, he spent more time watching the children than the animals. He commented on fliers for family-oriented activities. They can't even go to the mall without him staring at the baby clothes. And not only that, he recently began investigating the pros and cons of the local daycare centers._

 _I let her vent until she was done. After pausing a few moments, I gently told her that if she doesn't want children, she needs to let him know, sooner rather than later._

 _"It's not that I don't want children. I'm just scared I'll be a terrible mother," she admitted._

 _I wanted to reassure her that she will make a great mother, but I didn't want to give her the old 'you'll do just fine' speech, not because I don't believe it, but because it just sounds so cliché. There has to be something I can do to help her realize it for herself._

Leah buried the diary in its place then pondered this new information. Every time she was at the Hofstadter house, everything always ran smoothly. Sure, they all argued occasionally, but what family didn't? Auntie Penny always had treats after school on the weeks she picked them up from school. She and Uncle Leonard took Cadence and Dylan to all sorts of children's events year round. In her eyes, Auntie Penny and Uncle Leonard made very good parents.

She thought back to the diary. Cadence was born 11 months later. Her mom must have been successful in convincing her bestie she would make a great mother. What had she said? She could read more tonight, but she would save that for another day. Right now she needed to focus on her plan so that Uncle Raj could have what her parents and the Hofstadters had. Phase 1 was complete. In the meantime, there were some details she needed to work on before she set the second, and final, phase in motion. The tricky part would be getting the subjects' cooperation.


	31. Chapter 31

_October 20, 2018_

 _Sheldon hosted a video game tournament here last night, at Leonard's insistence. Things are still tense for him and Penny after she took off at dinner on Thursday. He actually suggested a weekend marathon, but it didn't work with the other guys' schedules. Raj couldn't commit to a whole weekend because he has a date tonight. Howard couldn't either because Bernadette's parents could only take Nathaniel one night, as they have out of town plans. Bernadette told Howard that if he gets a whole weekend with his friends, she should be granted the same courtesy._

 _I have to admit I'm relieved. Sheldon and I have shared a bed for almost two years, and the thought of spending even one night apart ... I don't even have words to describe it._

 _Penny hosted girls' night. She was sweet to buy sparkling cider for me so I didn't feel left out when they uncorked the wine. Bernadette looked at me and shrieked, "You're pregnant!" She was so loud that the guys heard. Sheldon raced over wondering why the girls knew I was pregnant before he did. I calmly reassured him that Bernadette jumped to conclusions, and he will be the first to know when the time comes._

 _The relief on his face was evident. I wasn't sure if it was because I confirmed he would be the first to know when we have a baby on the way or if the thought of actually having a child terrified him. We discussed it extensively before we stopped using birth control, but I wondered if he had doubts. When I asked him later, he admitted to the former. He's still excited at the prospect of fatherhood and was a little dismayed that I was suspicious of his true feelings._

 _After Sheldon left, Penny voiced her concerns about parenthood to Bernadette. We sipped our beverages, deep in thought. Then Bernadette came up with a brilliant plan. She asked Penny if she and Leonard would be interested in babysitting Nathaniel for a full 24-hour day. At nearly two, he's not exactly a baby, but they could still experience first-hand what it's like changing diapers and dealing with tantrums. When Penny's eyes widened in fear, she assured her he's usually well behaved and loves cuddling._

 _After discussing it with Leonard, who eagerly agreed, they will take him next Friday night. Sheldon and I will have a quiet night in, so they can come to us for help, if needed._

"Leah! We're ready to go!" Amy announced.

Leah shoved the diary under her mattress then looked herself over in her full-length mirror. The snowflake part of her costume was too delicate to wear on the ride to the school, so for now she only wore the pale blue sheath. The tiara would be added last so it wouldn't snag the fabric.

"Leah! We need to leave now," Sheldon hollared.

"I'm coming!" She joined her parents in the foyer, slipped her feet into white, sparkly flats bought specially for the occasion, and ran out to the van waiting in the driveway.

"Where's the rest of your costume, Sweetie?" Penny asked, as the youngest Cooper crawled into the backseat next to her best friend.

"Mommy has it. She doesn't want me to ruin the fabric."

Sheldon slid into the seat behind Leonard. Amy handed him the garment bag and smaller bag containing the tiara and necklace, as she climbed in then took her seat next to him and retrieved the bags. When he made certain everyone was buckled in, Leonard pulled into traffic.

"Dylan's sitting on my dress!" Cadence whined from the back seat.

Penny twisted her body, trying to see around her friends in the middle row. "Dylan, please scootch over a little. We can't risk ripping it."

"I wouldn't be sitting on it if she wasn't so close."

Leah subconsciously edged closer to the door, as she listened to the conversation. Auntie Penny sounded very reasonable in her request. She didn't scream at her kids like some of the moms they encountered on the playground or at school functions. Cadence and Dylan were very lucky to have such a great mom, and she was relieved things worked out the way they did.

She was curious how the babysitting went but put that thought aside. Tonight she would set her matchmaking plan in motion. As the other kids argued, she went over the details in her mind for the umpteenth time.

"Leah, let's go," Amy urged.

Leah looked up and realized everyone else had already exited the van. How did they get to the school already? She shrugged then hopped out and took her parents' hands.

Sheldon poked his head into the auditorium. "The Wolowitzs and Raj are already here," he whispered to his wife, "and they came prepared."

Amy peeked around him and spotted their friends right away in the nearly-bare room, seated in the second row. A sweater hung over the next four seats. The universal sign for 'these seats are saved'.

"Okay, kids. Let's finish getting you ready..." Penny began, as Leah darted between her parents, toward their seated friends.

"Uncle Raj!" She called out.

Raj turned around as the little girl ran to him. "Leah! Shouldn't you be joining your class?"

"We have lots of time. Daddy made sure we left home early to account for possible traffic jams."

Raj surveyed the room. "That's why it's so quiet in here," he mused.

"I should have known we didn't have to rush," Bernadette grumbled.

"Told you," Howard gloated.

"But we have excellent seats," Sheldon pointed out. "The place is already starting to fill up. Had you arrived ten minutes from now, at best we would have scored fourth row seats, and not fourth row center seats. No, fourth row end seats. I suppose you could have chosen center seats in the fifth row..."

"Sorry, guys," Amy apologized.

Sheldon wrinkled his nose. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because our friends were inconvenienced."

"But their inconvenience ensured we got great seats."

"Let's just agree that everything worked out in the end," she soothed.

"Only because of my preparedness."

Amy squeezed her husband's hand then turned to her daughter. "We really should start getting you ready. Auntie Penny brought her curling iron, then we need to place the tiara carefully on top. We'll need the extra time."

"Wait!" Leah shouted, as Amy took her hand and tried to lead her back into the hall. "Uncle Raj, you need to come help me with my costume."

"Leah, you're perfectly capable of dressing yourself, and Mommy and Auntie Penny have your hair covered," Sheldon reasoned.

"But he has to." She addressed the astrophysicist again. "Please, Uncle Raj?"

Raj stood and draped his jacket over his chair. "I would be honored."

The Coopers and Raj caught up with the Hofstadters, Leah leading the way to the third grade classrooms, passing mini lockers decorated in winter-themed paper cutouts.

"We went too far," Sheldon noted, as they passed Leah's homeroom.

"It will get too crowded in there, so Ms. Jackson offered us her room. Ms. Jackson is the school's art teacher," she clarified to Raj.

"I'm going to take Dylan to his class. I'll catch up with you in the auditorium." Leonard pecked his wife on the cheek, and led their son down the hall. The rest of the group followed Leah to a darkened classroom.

"Monkey, are you sure it's okay to go in?"

"Yes, Mommy," Leah answered in an exasperated tone. She entered, feeling along the wall for the light switch.

When the light snapped on, the adults' eyes were drawn to finger paintings and sketches lining the walls. Cadence pulled Penny to a section of the wall and proudly showed off a sketch of their family. When Leah's parents asked to see her work, she vaguely pointed at the general area. She couldn't get distracted. There was too much at stake.

"Mommy, I need to get into costume now."

"And I need to touch up Cadence's hair," Penny declared, ushering her daughter to one of the blue plastic chairs. "I'll work on yours when you're all dressed, Sweetie."

Amy handed the garment bag to Raj. She and Sheldon stood off to the side as he carefully slid the zipper and extracted the snowflake-shaped costume. He bent down to Leah's level.

"Hold up your arms, and I'll slide it down to your torso."

Leah looked toward the door. "Wait!" Everyone's heads whipped around to face her then to the empty doorway.

"Are you expecting someone?" Sheldon asked.

Leah licked her lips. "I thought I heard someone."

"Well, there are over 500 students in the building, not to mention all the parents, the teachers..." Sheldon's voice trailed off when Raj rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying, of course Leah heard someone."

Raj held out the costume and once again attempted to instruct Leah to lift her arms. Once again, she turned to the door. Frowning, she stole a glance at the wall clock, but her efforts did not go unnoticed.

"Monkey, what's going on?" Amy demanded.

"I..." She cocked her ear toward the door.

The vague sound of heels on the tile floor, getting louder with each step, averted the group's attention."Hi girls! Don't you look pretty!"

"Hi Ms. Jackson!" The girls greeted, as the teacher stood in the doorway. Her usual ponytail was replaced by soft waves framing her face, and in place of the paint-stained overalls was a knee-length green skirt dotted with tiny red poinsettias. A white blouse accented with a handmade poinsettia brooch and red high heels completed the ensemble.

"And who else do we have here?"

"That's Cadence's mom and my parents," Leah said, by way of introduction, "and this is my Uncle Raj." She gently plucked the costume from his hands and held it up. "He made this for me. He's very talented."

Ms. Jackson stepped into the room and walked toward them. She tilted her head and lightly ran her fingers over the material. "The stitching is perfect. The beadwork is impeccable. It's absolutely stunning!"

Raj pulled at his collar and swallowed hard. "Thank you."

"He also taught my mom and her friends to make jewelry," Leah boasted.

The teacher beamed. "It's always nice to meet a fellow artist."

"I just dabble in crafts. I'm actually an astrophysicist."

"Really?! That sounds fascinating."

"Uncle Raj is the one who took me to Vasquez Rocks. He set up his high-powered telescope so we could see Venus clearly before the meteor shower started." Leah stepped away as the two adults continued chatting. The corners of her mouth turned up as she watched them share a laugh. Her plan appeared to be working.

"Monkey, did you have something to do with this?" Amy whispered.

Leah looked down at her shoes. "Yes," she mumbled.

The neurobiologist studied the pair with interest. "It's okay. I'm not upset. Maybe she's exactly what he needs."

xxx

The pageant went off with only a few minor hitches, including one of Dylan's classmates knocking over a cardboard snowman and another child who refused to perform, instead opting to sit in the middle of the stage pouting, as her classmates danced around her.

Cadence froze when it came time for her solo. Leah slipped out of place to whisper in her friend's ear and point to their families. Leonard gave his daughter a thumbs up sign, and Penny mouthed 'You can do it!' The Coopers, Wolowitzs, and Raj also displayed signs of encouragement, and after Leah slipped back into place, the young Hofstadter sang her offkey heart out.

"You all did great!" Raj congratulated his nieces and nephew after the show. The parents all murmured their agreement before breaking off into small groups to chat.

"Uncle Raj, did you make plans with Ms. Jackson?"

"Plans?"

"You know, like a date," Leah urged.

Raj looked taken aback. "We had a nice chat about the night sky view, and that's all she wrote. Besides, she's out of my league."

"If you're worried about how she was dressed, she normally doesn't wear clothes like that. She's very casual. Besides, you seemed to really like each other."

"She seems like a really nice person, but we don't know each other."

"And you never will if you don't ask her out," Leah replied.

"Wait, did you set this up?"

Leah bit her lip. "Would you be mad if I said yes?"

"I'm not mad."

"Then yes, I planned this."

"Devious like her father," he muttered under his breath. "That was very nice of you, but what if she has a boyfriend or a husband?"

"If I do some sleuthing and find out she's single, promise me you'll ask her out."

"Why are you so insistent in setting me up?"

"Because I'm returning the favor." When Raj furrowed his brow, she sighed. "Remember last weekend I told you I wanted to thank you for setting up my parents?"

"I didn't think you were serious."

"I was and still am." Leah's gaze wandered to the stage where the object of their discussion struggled to drag her paintings across the floor. "Go help her," she urged. "Go!" She demanded when he hesitated.

The youngest Cooper grinned as he climbed the steps. Ms. Jackson tucked a lock of hair behind her ear when she saw him approach. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but the relief on the woman's face was evident. They each grabbed an end of a painting, Raj opting to be the person who walked backward, and carried it off the stage. When they were out of sight, Leah proceeded to her dad's side and slipped her hand in his. They waited patiently behind her mom as she wrapped up her conversation with Bernadette.

"Amy, I have some information on that school program." Bernadette handed her friend a pamphlet.

Amy quickly shoved it in her purse. "Thank you! Sheldon and I will read this over as soon as we get a chance."

"Howie and I should get going so we can get Nat to bed at a decent hour." She looked around her. "Where's Raj? We're supposed to give him a ride home."

"I think he can manage to find another ride," Leah winked.

"What does that mean?" Bernadette and Sheldon asked in unison.

Amy let them in on the secret. "Leah's playing matchmaker."

"He's helping my art teacher," Leah added. "I'm almost positive she'll make sure he arrives home safely."

"I don't know. Maybe I should text him to be sure." The petite blonde pulled her phone from her purse and sent a quick note. She received a reply almost immediately.

Amy peered over her friend's shoulder. "What did he say?

"'Don't worry about me.' Well, I guess that answers my question. I'll round up Howard and Nat."

"Thank you again for coming. We need to plan another girls' night after the holidays."

"I would be happy to host. I'll check my calendar and send you and Penny some dates after the holidays. And Sheldon, I'm sure Howard would be up for a game night. We can all get together for dinner then split off into groups."

"It has been awhile," he mused.

"Can't wait!" The two women hugged then quickly jumped apart when Leah screeched.

"Grandma's here!"

Amy turned around slowly, her good mood suddenly dissipating. Standing before her was her mother, dressed in a long black coat buttoned to the neck and a stern look on her face.

"Hello Amy, Sheldon," she replied cooly. Her demeanor changed when she addressed her granddaughter. "Leah! You made a beautiful snowflake."

Leah pirouetted in front of her. "Thanks, Grandma!"

Amy narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Mom what are you doing here?" She demanded.

"I came to see my only grandchild perform in her school pageant, of course, but I can see why you're so surprised. It's not like I was invited or anything. I had to hear about it through the Pasadena Star-News." She looked around the auditorium. "I'm surprised Sheldon's family isn't here."

Leah piped up. "They're watching at home on the livestream."

"So you told them about it and not me, your own mother who lives only 7 miles away. Amy, what is going on with you?"

Amy's eyes darted around the auditorium. Many people had already left, but several remained, including a few parents who openly stared at the commotion. "Mom, this isn't a good time."

"Then when? I haven't seen or heard from you since Thanksgiving. What happened that day? You ran off so quickly."

Amy reached for Sheldon's hand and triple squeezed.

"I'm sorry, Joan..."

"Mommy was..."

Sheldon cut his daughter off. "Leah, go check with Uncle Leonard to see if he's ready to leave."

"But I want to talk to Grandma."

"Leah, please," he requested.

"Fine," she pouted. "Bye, Grandma." She wrapped her arms around the older woman, who returned the little girl's affection by patting her back awkwardly.

When Leah was out of earshot, Joan narrowed her eyes at her daughter and son-in-law. "What did I do to deserve having my only grandchild kept away from me?"

Amy squared her shoulders. "Leah knows."

"Knows what?"

"About the sin closet. I had to tell her about it after..." she took in a deep breath, "after I had night terrors. When I saw her in that closet on Thanksgiving, all my memories of that... that place came back to me. That's why we left when we did."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say? I had hoped Leah would never find out about it, but she heard me scream and saw Sheldon pinning me down that night. She was so scared she called 911."

"Amy, you know I only sent you in there because I didn't know what else to do with you. I was a single mother..."

"Yes, I know. You explained it all to me before, but," her voice shook, "my fears are evidently still there."

Sheldon wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder. "Shall we see if the Hofstadters are ready to go?"

"Please."

Joan shook her head sadly. "So that's it? You're just going to leave because of something that happened over 25 years ago? I thought we had gotten past this."

"I thought so too." Amy paused. "I _am_ sorry I didn't invite you to the pageant. That was rude of me."

"You aren't keeping anything else from me, I hope?"

"No, Mom. We've just been working and doing our usual activities. I guess there is one new thing. Sheldon and I have filmed some mini Fun with Flags episodes for Leah's class. You can find them on YouTube."

"I know. I've already watched them."

Amy's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Of course. I'm subscribed to your channel. I've even watched some of your older episodes again recently. I suppose it was my way of trying to stay close to you."

"Oh, Mom..."

"I hope you can come for a visit soon so we can see each other in person more often. Then I won't have to resort to videos."

"But not too soon," Sheldon amended. "We have plans through the end of the year."

"Oh, yes. You'll enjoy Christmas in Boston while I spend the holiday alone," Joan remarked bitterly.

"Mom, you know the schedule. This is Dad's year to see us."

"And next Christmas is in Texas. I know."

Penny waved at the couple from the doorway. Amy caught her eye and held up one finger. "I'm sorry. We need to go, but how about we set up FaceTime for you and Leah on Saturday morning?"

"That's a start." They exchanged awkward goodbyes. Amy leaned heavily against her husband; he tightened his hold on her as they headed toward their friends. Joan's eyes followed their retreating backs. When they were too far away to hear, she sighed and whispered, "I'm sorry too."


	32. Chapter 32

Amy blinked her eyes against the harsh light streaming in through the window. She flipped over toward her husband but found his side of the bed empty. Stretching her arm, she felt his pillow. It was cool to the touch.

"Sheldon?" She called out.

"One minute!"

She heard some rustling sounds followed by the clink of silverware on china and the low murmurs of her husband and daughter.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, Daddy. I promise I'll be careful."

As their footsteps slowly neared the bedroom, Amy sat up and craned her neck, attempting to peek through the crack in the door. What was taking so long? The crack became wider, and Sheldon entered the room with a Mylar balloon with '45' emblazoned on the front.

"Happy birthday, Amy!"

"Thank you, Sheldon!" She kissed him on the cheek. "Where's Leah?"

"She's coming," he promised, as he tied the balloon to the bedpost.

Moments later, the little girl appeared in the doorway carrying a food-filled tray. She cautiously neared the bed and gently set the tray on her mom's lap. "Happy birthday, Mommy! I made you breakfast."

"Thank you, Monkey." Amy peered down at the items. "You made monkey head pancakes! That's adorable!"

"I mixed the batter. Daddy cooked and shaped them, but I asked him to do monkeys."

"I love them. They're almost too cute to eat." She eyed the mug next to the plate. "This doesn't look familiar."

"That's cuz it's new. I bought it for you with my own money. Turn it around."

Amy obeyed and gasped, blinking back tears. "It's beautiful, Monkey!" A picture of the three of them at Universal Studios in front of the Hogwarts Express from the past summer graced the front along with the quote 'Family... Where life begins and love never ends'.

"I chose the picture, and Daddy even let me customize it and order."

Amy sniffed the contents appreciatively. "And that's a wonderful aroma."

Leah climbed onto the bed and sat between her parents. "That's also part of your present. I bought a tea sampler. This is the cinnamon chai." She watched her mom take a sip and beamed at the happy sigh she emited.

"Thank you, Monkey. This is already shaping up to be a great birthday." She cut a piece of pancake and popped it in her mouth. "Oh, my goodness! This is delicious!"

"It's chai flavored batter with Nutella frosting for the details," Sheldon offered. "Also Leah's idea."

Amy ruffled her daughter's hair. "I think we may have a little chef in the making." As she chewed, Sheldon outlined the rest of their day.

"Our first stop will be the zoo to see the new baby monkeys, followed by lunch at any restaurant of your choosing in the downtown LA area. Then I have a surprise for you at an undisclosed location."

"I want to stop at the school after that," Leah interrupted.

Sheldon's eyebrows shot up. "Leah, we took you out of school for the day. You were fine with it when we discussed it last week. Besides, school will be done for the day by the time we get there."

"I don't want to go to class. I just want to check up on Ms. Jackson since you refuse to ask Uncle Raj what happened after the pageant. It will be my last chance before the holidays."

"We're not taking you to the school. If Raj wants to tell us, he will do it on his own. I'm not going to pry," Sheldon informed her.

"But maybe Ms. Jackson wants to talk about it. I don't want to wait until school restarts in January. That's over two weeks away."

Amy set down her fork. "Monkey, we're not going to stick our noses in other people's business."

"But..."

"No buts. End of discussion," Sheldon affirmed. "This is Mommy's day."

"Sorry," Leah mumbled.

"It's okay. It's human nature to be curious. I've been wondering too."

"Amy! Don't encourage her."

"I'm not. I'm just validating her natural instincts."

"I suppose I am a tad curious myself," he admitted. "Raj was awfully quiet at lunch yesterday. In the past he's always boasted about his most recent conquest. He must have struck out."

"I thought they really liked each other," Leah murmured.

"We don't know for sure that he struck out." Amy comforted. "Maybe he's taking it slow for once."

"Or my matchmaking skills failed."

Noting his daughter's distress, Sheldon changed the subject. "Leah, why don't you get dressed while Mommy finishes her breakfast. We have a lot to get accomplished before you go to Cadence's this evening."

"Okay." The little girl shuffled out the door. She sighed heavily as she got dressed, all the while reflecting on what could have gone wrong. She may be book smart, but she had a lot to learn about social convention.

She calculated that she would have between 20 to 30 minutes before her parents were ready to start their adventure. That gave her plenty of time to eat and read the next diary entry. She headed for the kitchen and plated one of the extra pancakes and poured a glass of milk. As she chewed, she attempted to come up with another plan to find a match for her uncle but came up with nothing. Maybe she could ask Cadence for assistance tonight.

Leah dutifully loaded her dishes in the dishwasher then dug the diary out from under her mattress.

 _October 27, 2018_

 _Howard and Bernadette just picked up Nathaniel. It was an eventful 24 hours. What an eye-opening experience!_

 _All was quiet across the hall for the first two hours. Sheldon and I cuddled on the couch under the Afghan Meemaw crocheted us for our wedding with a huge bowl of popcorn and hot chocolate in front of us. I was feeling a little frisky during the movie, pawing at Sheldon like I was Winnie the Pooh and he was a jar of honey. He couldn't get into the movie either, and soon we were making out like randy teenagers._

 _When the credits finished rolling, we were down to only our underwear. Sheldon clicked off the TV, pulled me up off the couch, and led me to the bedroom. We had almost reached the bed when a frantic knock sounded at the door. Sheldon put his finger to his lips, and we tiptoed to our destination. The knocking started up again, more frantic this time, and we heard Penny's muffled voice calling us._

 _Sheldon groaned as I slipped into my bathrobe and tied it tightly around my waist. I told him I should only be a minute, leaned over so he could cop a feel, then padded to the living room._

 _I opened the door to a wide-eyed Penny. "What the hell took you so long?" She whined. Without giving me a chance to explain, she gestured toward her apartment. The door was wide open, and there was Leonard gaping at Nathaniel who had a mouthful of crayons and another stuck up his nose._

 _I assured them that ingesting a little wax shouldn't hurt but was a little concerned about the one in his nose. Luckily it wasn't lodged in too far. When we were alone later, Sheldon insisted that our children would be too intelligent to do that._

 _We had just gotten into bed, about to pick up where we left off, when we heard screeching and a loud wail from across the hall. Frustrated, I marched over to our best friends' apartment and asked if there was anything I could do to help._

 _I found out that Nathaniel had been running through the apartment, tripped, and fell face first into the corner of the coffee table, splitting his lip. A little blood dripped onto his pajama shirt as he plopped himself into a seated position on the floor. Tears streamed down his little face as he screamed in pain. I knelt beside him and attempted to get a better look at his lip then asked Leonard to bring a damp washcloth. Sheldon appeared in the doorway just as I attempted to dab the cloth gently over the wound, while Nathaniel squirmed. Instead of fainting at the sight of blood, my brave husband joined me on the floor, holding the little boy still as I cleaned him up._

 _When I concluded that the cut didn't require stitches, I looked up to find Leonard and Penny watching us with awe. They asked how I managed to stay so calm. I shrugged and told them my maternal instincts must be kicking in._

 _At that point, Penny broke down and wept. "I guess I'm not meant to be a mom."_

 _Leonard hugged her and spoke to her soothingly. He admitted that the night's events scared him into thinking she had been right all along. That they weren't ready to start a family._

"Leah! We're ready!"

"Coming!" She slipped the diary back in place then joined her parents in the hall.

xxx

The Coopers were right on schedule, heading to their last destination - the secret location - when Amy's phone rang.

She pressed the call answer button on the steering wheel. "Hello?"

Joan Fowler's voice filled the car. "Hello, Amy."

"Mom, I wasn't expecting to hear from you until tomorrow. Leah is looking forward to your video chat."

"Actually, I called to speak with you."

"Really? I have to let you know the three of us are in the car, and you're on speakerphone."

"Leah too? Shouldn't she be in school?"

"She already knows the content, so she's not missing anything," Sheldon supplied.

"Exactly," Amy confirmed.

"I see. Well, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

Amy widened her eyes "Oh! Um... Thank you."

"You sound surprised," Joan replied, a little sadly. "I always call you on your birthday."

"Yes, of course. It's just that ever since Wednesday night..." Amy glanced in the rearview mirror at her daughter who was leaning forward in her seat. "Well, you know."

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Hi, Grandma!" Leah interjected.

"Leah! Are you enjoying your day off?"

"Yes! We saw the baby monkeys and as many of the other animals we could before Daddy said we had to leave so we could get to the restaurant on time."

"You know, it's probably going to be awhile before we get to our next stop since Sheldon won't tell me where we're going, and we seem to be driving in circles. Why don't you two start a video chat now? Leah, you can keep the volume low so I can concentrate on Daddy's directions."

"Yay!"

"We're going to hang up now, Mom. When we get to the next red light, I'll give Leah my phone so you two can chat."

"Amy, wait. I sincerely want to wish you a happy birthday. I'm not just saying that because it's what people say when it's someone's birthday. Enjoy this day with your family. Cherish every moment."

Amy swallowed hard. "Thank you, Mom. I will." She pressed the end call button and blinked back tears.

"What's wrong, Mommy?"

"Nothing. I just got a little emotional." She applied the brake as they neared the next intersection and dug in her purse for her phone.

Leah placed the call, and within seconds Joan's voice came through. She turned down the volume, and soon Amy could barely make out her mom's side of the conversation. She startled when a car horn honked behind them and immediately lifted her foot from the brake and continued to drive.

Sheldon snuck a look into the backseat. Satisfied that Leah was engrossed in her conversation, he turned to his wife. "You okay?" He asked quietly.

"I'm fine."

"I want you to be more than fine. It's your day." He squeezed her thigh. "Maybe my gift will cheer you up. Speaking of which, we're coming up on exit 20B. You'll want to turn there."

"How far will we drive before the next turn?"

"Amy, it's a surprise. I want you to be in suspense the whole way."

"After all these years, you still continue to keep a component of mystery."

Ten minutes later Amy pulled into a familiar parking lot. "The Science Center? Am I doing a scavenger hunt?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"Amy," he warned, "no questions. You'll see soon enough."

As Sheldon inserted his credit card in the lot's pay box, Leah ended her call with a promise to call again the next day. Amy happily took the hands of her two favorite people as they headed for the building. Sheldon held the glass door open and ushered his wife and daughter inside.

"Wow! They've totally remodeled! It looks like a completely different place!" Amy exclaimed, as she took in the previously-white walls which were now a cobalt blue with silver accents.

Sheldon shrugged. "It's a little too lavish, if you ask me, but we're not here to admire the lobby."

Leah tugged her mom toward the Kelp Forest exhibit. "I wanna see the sharks!"

"We'll do that later. First we're going to see my gift to Mommy." They climbed the stairs to the second floor where Sheldon led the way to the World of Life section.

Amy furrowed her brow. "What are we looking for?"

He squeezed her hand. "You'll see."

They wound around familiar displays interspersed with new ones in the remodeled space. When they turned around the corner of the hands-on heart and lungs learning display, Amy gasped. "Sheldon! How did you... When did you..."

"Two years ago I found out they wanted to add a local scientists section, so I sent in some of your articles. The center contacted me six months later to let me know they selected you for their new neurobiology section. They finally completed the exhibit three months ago. I had to be sure they displayed your work tastefully, so I asked Leonard to drive me here after work on a week you picked the kids up from school but made him wait in the car. I couldn't risk him telling Penny and her telling you. She's such a gabby Gertie."

"Sheldon, I can't believe to went through all that work for me, not to mention keeping a secret so long."

"You're a brilliant scientist, and I wanted your contributions to be noticed by a broader audience, and like you said, I enjoy keeping a little mystery in our relationship."

She spun around, taking in models of brains with snippets of her research posted on plaques in front of each one and her name boldly advertising her bestowments to the scientific world. She ran her fingers over the text. "This is amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it. Happy birthday, Amy!"

"I love it! It's every scientist's dream to be immortalized in this manner." She peered down to get a better look at one of the plaques. "This one has both our names."

Sheldon had the decency to look sheepish. "Yeah, well, that achievement is one of your most important breakthroughs."

"And yours. Sheldon, it's okay. I don't mind sharing this with you. It's still an amazing gift." She reached up and kissed his cheek.

"My parents are famous!" Leah shouted, startling a young family walking past them.

"It's not exactly the Smithsonian, but maybe one day," Sheldon replied.

xxx

Amy guided a reluctant Leah along the sidewalk.

"Can't I stay home with you? Why do you make me go to Cadence's every year on your birthday?"

"You've always loved sleeping over there."

"I do, but we've had such a fun time today. I don't want it to end."

Amy knelt down, placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders, and looked her straight in the eyes. "I had a lot of fun too."

Leah stuck out her bottom lip. "Then why are you sending me away?"

Amy dropped her arms and slid her double helix charm. "It's tradition. Daddy and I have spent my birthday night alone for the past 12 years."

"Even when I was a baby?"

"We didn't plan on it, but Auntie Penny offered to take you."

"How did she manage to care for two crying babies?"

"It wasn't difficult. You were a very good baby. You only cried when you needed to be fed or have your diaper changed. The occasional other times, all we had to do was read to you, and you would drift off to sleep."

Leah switched tactics. "But Grandma Joan said you need to cherish your time with me."

"Of course I cherish our time together, Monkey. It's just one night. We'll be spending the next two weeks together. You'll probably be sick of us by the time classes restart in January."

"I'll never be sick of you and Daddy."

Amy wrapped her arms around the little girl. "And we'll never be sick of you." She stood and took her hand, and together they walked the next few steps to the Hofstadter house.

"Happy birthday, Ames!" Penny greeted.

Leah squeezed past them with her overnight bag, called out a quick goodbye over her shoulder, then ran into the house in search of her friend.

Amy wrapped her arms around her bestie. "Thank you! It's been a glorious day. I'll tell you all about it soon."

"Anxious to get home for the birthday booty spectacular. Gotcha!" Penny winked.

Amy reddened. "Yes. I hope the girls didn't hear."

Penny twisted her head around to make sure they were alone. "Nah. I'm sure they're catching up after going a whole day without seeing each other."

The two women embraced again before Amy dashed back to her house where Sheldon waited in the foyer. She strode up to him, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Finally, we're all alone. Whatever will we do tonight?"

"First, I have another surprise." He took her hand and led her to the dimly-lit dining room.

Two candles glowed, reflecting light on the good china, plated with tagliatelle alla Bolognese and garlic breadsticks from her favorite Italian restaurant. A bottle of sparkling cider sat next to two champagne flutes.

"When did you have time to do this?"

"I set up the delivery time yesterday, and luckily they arrived while you dropped Leah off. I had just enough time to set the table and light the mood candles." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively."

"It looks and smells wonderful!"

He pulled out her chair and placed a napkin on her lap when she was seated. She picked up her fork and poised it over the dish, but he caught her wrist.

"I want to make a toast first." He poured them each some cider. Raising his glass, he said simply, "To my beautiful wife, you become more alluring every year. I love you."

"Thank you, Sheldon. I love you too."

They clinked glasses and each took a sip. "I'm sorry it's not alcohol, but you know it doesn't agree with me. I want to have complete control of all my senses tonight."

"I would much rather drink cider than worry about your reactions to alcohol. This is actually really good," she mused, taking another sip.

"That's because it's not a cheap grocery store variety. I found a new little shop that makes small batches of housemade ciders right here in Pasadena. This one is peach/mango."

They dug into the main course, Amy moaning in culinary pleasure. When she had ingested every last morsel, she set down her fork and stared at the man seated across from her.

"What's wrong? Was the meal not to your satisfaction?"

She reached across the table and lay her hand on his. "Everything is pefect."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just reflecting on past birthdays. Every year I think you've outdone yourself, but each birthday gets better. I'm so lucky to have you."

He shook his head. "No, I'm the lucky one." He stood and pulled her from her chair and led her to the bedroom.

"What about the dishes?"

"I'll take care of them later."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? Sheldon Cooper is going to leave the dirty dishes sitting out?"

"They'll be fine. Continuing your perfect day is more important."

Not wishing to argue, she followed him to the bed. Without releasing her hand, he lay back on the comforter, pulling her on top of him. Amy stared into her husband's deep blue eyes that were filled with love and lust. Her lips descended upon his in a gentle kiss that quickly became heated.

"Happy birthday to me," she murmured when they came up for air. She rubbed her breasts against his chest, feeling his growing desire beneath her most intimate part.

"Oh, dear Lord" he groaned as she rocked herself over him.

She slowed to a stop to shuck her cardigan. The moment it hit the floor, his fingers nimbly unbuttoned her blouse. She stretched her arms over her head and slipped out of the garment. She watched as he cupped her leopard-spotted mounds. He pushed the fabric aside and peeled his shoulders off the mattress until his mouth met a hardening bud. The other was treated to a sensual massage.

She threw her head back and moaned. "Oh, God! Sheldon!"

He smirked against her skin as she shuddered against him. After all these years, he marveled that he could still make her come before he even touched her folds.

When she caught her breath, she rolled off him and quickly shed her remaining clothes before helping him out of his. They stared at each other's naked bodies, as if seeing them for the first time.

"You're beautiful," he murmured. He fluffed her pillow and guided her to a prone position, as he lay next to her on his side.

"So are you." Her fingertips caressed his cheek. He lowered his head and caught her lips in his. When he prodded her with the tip of his tongue, she parted her lips and allowed him entry.

Without warning, Bruno Mars' 'Friendship Song' reverberated through the room.

Amy sat up. "Penny's calling. I hope nothing happened to Leah." Her fingers fumbled for the phone on her nightstand. "Penny? Is everything okay?"

"Hi, Mommy! I'm fine."

"Leah! I wasn't expecting you. If you're fine, why are you calling?"

"Cadence said Uncle Raj was at the school over the lunch hour. She saw him go into Ms. Jackson's classroom, but she doesn't think he saw her."

"Monkey, couldn't this have waited until tomorrow?"

"I thought you'd be excited to know."

"Of course I am. It's just that Daddy and I were in the middle of something."

"I'm sorry. I'll go now," she replied sadly.

"I'm sorry if I sounded harsh. Thank you for sharing your news. I love you. Have a good night, Monkey. We'll see you in the morning."

"Night, Mommy."

Amy set down the phone and sighed. "I feel terrible."

"Why did she call?"

Amy explained the situation with Raj then rested her head on her husband's chest. "Are we bad parents for making our daughter go to a sleepover while we get it on?"

"I don't think so. We spent the whole day with her, and she's rarely away from home overnight. Almost every weekend we do something as a family."

"You're right. Maybe it was just the excitement of learning her efforts may have worked afterall. Although she was reluctant to even go to the Hofstadters' today. She wanted to continue our fun day. I suppose I should be grateful. In a few years, she'll probably seek more independence and will resist spending time with us."

"Most likely," he agreed, kissing the top of her head.

They lay side by side quietly for several minutes. "Sheldon?"

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. I just needed to know if you were awake."

"I am. I was just wondering how to proceed with your birthday festivities since the mood has changed."

Amy raised her head. "Let's go slow." She brushed her lips against his.

Sheldon allowed her to take the lead, never rushing. Over the years, they had tried everything from cosplaying to vigorous sex. Though they enjoyed it all, it was the slow, sensual times they enjoyed the most. Tonight was no exception.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the follows, favorites, and reviews. It's been 14 months since I started this story and am grateful to everyone who has stuck around.**

 **Those of you who've read The Investigative Vacation will recognize some of the characters in this chapter. I was excited to bring them back. I hope you enjoy.**

After enduring a three-hour delay caused by an unscheduled system outage at LAX, the Coopers touched down at Logan International Airport in Boston. Starving and exhausted, they hurried to the luggage carousels.

"I knew we should have just brought carry-ons," Sheldon whined as they waited for the luggage to drop.

"We couldn't fit the presents and our clothes in these," Amy reasoned, gesturing with her head to their matching black bags and Leah's zoo animal-themed bag.

"Next time we'll mail the gifts like we do on the years we don't fly over. Same goes for next year when we go to Texas."

Leah pointed to the luggage chute. "Daddy, the bags are coming!"

"Finally!" He sighed.

The trio moved closer to the conveyer, their eyes peeled for a large hard-side black suitcase with a blue handle sporting a Yoda luggage tag. Each bag that tumbled down gave way to disappointment. At one point, Sheldon got excited, thinking the wait was finally over. A young man wearing a Harvard sweatshirt edged his way between them and pulled a black suitcase off the conveyer.

"Excuse me! That's our suitcase!"

The young man flashed the crimson Harvard tag bearing his name and phone number. Not Yoda.

"I'm so sorry," Amy apologized.

The man waved off her apology. "Don't worry about it. Have a Merry Christmas." Before she could reply, he turned and was gone.

"There's Yoda!" Leah squealed, bringing her parents' attention back to the task at hand.

Sheldon reached over and lugged the black suitcase bearing the Star Wars themed tag. "Let's go. We don't want to keep Grandpa Lowell waiting any longer."

"I tried to convince him that we'd be fine getting a rental car, but he's too stubborn," Amy muttered, as they zigzagged between other weary travelers toward the parking garage. "Keep an eye out for a silver Chevy Tahoe."

Sheldon scanned each parked vehicle they passed. "Did he say what row he's in?"

Leah tugged her dad's jacket sleeve. "I see him!" She dropped her carry-on and ran to the older man.

"Leah!" Amy called after her. "Never do that again. A car could have hit you."

Sheldon picked up the forgotten suitcase and threw his hands in the air when he failed to pull it, his own carry-on, and the large suitcase.

"I've got it," Amy offered, taking Leah's belongings. They trudged past the cars, trucks, and vans, finally approaching their daughter who was engaged in a nearly one-sided conversation with Amy's dad.

"Oh, and Grandma Joan sends you her regards," Leah added.

"That was very kind of her. Next time you see her, wish her a belated Christmas and happy new year."

Leah tilted her head to the side. "Grandpa, how come you and Grandma never got married?"

"Hi, Dad!" Amy interrupted.

"There's my girl! Hey, Sheldon."

Sheldon nodded a hello as Amy set her bag next to him and ran into her father's open arms.

"I've missed you," she murmured.

"I've missed you more."

"Not possible." She stood back to look at the man she had known for not quite 11 years. She still marveled that she had been able to find him, given her mom hadn't provided her much information to go on. She looked around. "Where's Annette?"

"At home getting your rooms ready. You know how particular she is about everything being perfect."

"I hope you called to let her know we were delayed. I still can't believe you waited here the whole time. We could have rented a car or taken a cab."

"Nonsense. I've waited six months to see you again. What's a few more hours?"

"That's a logical way to look at it," Sheldon mused.

"Weren't you bored?" Leah asked.

"Not all all. I had company."

The little girl craned her neck around him. "Who?"

Lowell led them to the vehicle and rapped on the passenger side window. "They're here!" The door opened to reveal a younger-looking version of him.

"Uncle Luke!" Leah shrieked.

"There's my favorite niece!" He picked her up and quickly set her back down. "You've gotten so big in just six months."

"I want in on the action too," a muffled voice called from within the van.

Leah giggled. "Auntie Carrie, why are you hiding in there?"

"Because my dumb brother turned on the child-proof locks, and now I'm stuck." She rattled the door handle, causing Leah to laugh harder. "Come on, Luke. Let me out. I'm not a child!"

"Says the person who's stymied by a car door lock," he teased.

"I'm two years older than you, so if I'm a child, does that make you a baby?"

The youngest Cooper looked to her parents. Her mom smiled as she watched her half siblings' antics, but her eyes had a faraway look.

"That's enough you two," Lowell commanded. He inserted his key in the lock and helped his younger daughter out.

"Aww, Dad! Why'd you do that? She's just going to have to get in again. These guys," Luke gestured to the Coopers, "must be exhausted after such a long day."

"Yes, it's been a heckish day," Sheldon agreed, wheeling the suitcases to the SUV's back door.

"Heckish?" Carrie chuckled.

"It's Sheldon speak for hellish," Amy clarified.

The Bachman siblings embraced their older sister before climbing into the backseat of the van. Sheldon and Leah took the middle seat, and Amy took the front passenger seat. After ensuring everyone was buckled in, Lowell pulled out and headed for the Sumner Tunnel.

Sheldon held onto the door handle as the van entered the space below the Boston Harbor. Amy turned around and gave him an apologetic look. She didn't care much for the thought of the underwater tunnel either, even though she had used it multiple times during her college years and during their visits to her dad's family, but she always put on a brave face for her husband.

"Leah, you were such a pretty snowflake," Carrie said, breaking some of the tension, as the van traveled east.

The little girl twisted her neck around around and beamed. "You watched the live feed?"

"It was late here because of the time zone difference, but your grandpa invited us all over on Saturday so we could watch the recording."

"Grandma Annette even let us each have a Christmas cookie to celebrate," Luke added.

Leah's eyes widened. "But she never gives those out until Christmas Eve."

Luke winked. "It was a special occasion."

The corners of Amy's mouth twitched up slightly. "That was really sweet of her."

Leah watched her mom in the rearview mirror. Again, she looked both happy and sad. Did she feel guilty that her stepmom made a big deal over the pageant when she didn't even tell her biological mom, or was there something more to the story? She would ask questions later. For now, she needed to focus on the present. It wasn't often she saw this side of the family, and she planned to make the most of their short time there.

Sheldon breathed a sigh of relief and released the door handle when they exited the tunnel, and the group chatted animatedly during the remainder of the drive.

Luke tapped his niece on the shoulder. "Your mom told me she and your dad are doing Fun with Flags for your school."

"They hoped it would relieve some of my boredom."

"But it hasn't?" Carrie asked.

"It's fun to watch, but they can't use any big words. It was the only way the school would agree to it," Leah explained.

"That school is a waste of time," Sheldon muttered.

"You know, Boston is home to many gifted schools," Luke proclaimed.

"As much as I would love to be closer to all of you, Pasadena is our home. Our jobs are there, our friends are there, our memories are there," Amy caught her husband's gaze in the rearview mirror.

"We have no plans to relocate," Sheldon agreed. "Besides, there are other options in the LA area for Leah's schooling."

Leah glared at him. "No!"

Sheldon gaped at his daughter. "I know you're tired, but that's no excuse to yell."

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I can't go to another school."

"We're not saying you will be, but out of curiosity, why are you against the idea? You're not learning anything now."

"I can't leave Ms. Jackson's class."

"Leah, it's just an art class. All schools have them," Sheldon reasoned.

"But only one employs Ms. Jackson. I have to be there to promote Uncle Raj's positive qualities so he doesn't ruin another relationship."

"Monkey, that's sweet of you to care so much, but we need to let nature take its course."

Leah crossed her arms over her chest. "Uncle Raj needs my help."

Luke addressed his sister and brother-in-law. "I'm sorry I caused this, you guys."

"It's not your fault," Amy reassured him, as they pulled up to the modest brownstone house.

Sheldon consulted his watch. "It's 9:47 already? Oh, dear Lord!"

Amy climbed out of the van and rubbed her hands together, while she waited on the sidewalk for the rest of her family to join her. "I forgot how cold it gets here in the winter."

"Another reason to stay in California," Sheldon declared, sidling next to her, Leah's hand in his.

Amy admired the colored lights outlining the roof and the giant wreath hanging from the front door, which suddenly swung open to reveal the woman her dad married seven years after her conception.

She thought back to their first meeting not quite ten years earlier. They had both been a little leery, due to the circumstances. Amy had been worried her father's wife would reject her, even though he assured her everything would be just fine. She still recalled how the other woman had stared at her when she opened the door of this very house. Amy had the urge to run, but then the woman had held out her hand in welcome.

Sensing Leah's questioning eyes on hers, she quickly ushered her into the house. Though it was well past the child's bedtime, Amy granted her 15 minutes with Grandma Annette. She watched the two chat about the pageant and school in general. It was odd to think that her daughter has known this woman all her life, while she hadn't even known of her existence until she was in her mid 30s. Once again, her mind traveled back to that fateful day of their first meeting - New Years Day, 2018.

 _One year, almost to the day, since meeting her father, she was finally meeting her stepmother. After they shook hands, Annette led her and Sheldon to the living room and offered them a seat anywhere, then excused herself while she aseembled a tray of four glasses and a pitcher of lemonade. Lowell had been delayed at work but called to let her know he was five minutes away._

 _The three of them sat quietly, unsure how to proceed. Amy discreetly squeezed her husband's hand three times. He licked his lips as he stalled to find a topic to discuss. The sound of a key in the front door lock shifted their attention to the man they all knew. With Lowell there, the conversation began to flow, and the Coopers and Annette all relaxed._

"Alright, little one. Your 15 minutes are up," Annette told her stepgranddaughter, shaking Amy out of her trance, "but if it's okay with your mom and dad, I'd like to use five minutes to take a few pictures."

Amy looked to her husband. She could tell he was ready for bed, but he gave her a slight nod. "I suppose we could spare five minutes, but shouldn't we wait until tomorrow when everyone's here?"

Annette shrugged. "You know how camera happy I am. We'll take plenty more tomorrow."

Not wishing to argue, Amy took her husband's and daughter's hands and followed her stepmom into the living room. A small tree was sitting in the corner awaiting the family to decorate the following day, the annual Bachman family Christmas Eve tradition. Annette positioned her husband in the middle flanked by his younger children on one side and Amy, his eldest, on the other next to Sheldon and Leah. Satisfied with the arrangement, she stood in front of the group and aimed her phone.

"Aren't you joining in?" Carrie asked her mother. "I bought you that selfie stick last year."

"You know I'd rather be on the other side of the camera. Everyone say cheese!"

"Cheese!"

Five minutes and 20 pictures later, Leah bid goodnight to her extended family then grudgingly followed her parents down the hall to the room she always occupied when they visited. She dutifully unpacked her pajamas and toothbrush and set Coco the monkey on the bed and her booklight on the nightstand. As she waited for her parents to finish their bedtime rituals in the adjacent room, Leah pulled the fall 2018 diary out from beneath the neatly-folded underwear in her suitcase. She would wait to unpack tomorrow.

She flipped through the pages, finding nothing of interest. It was like all her parents did was work. If only she had the foresight to look for a diary detailing her mom's quest to locate her dad. Leah knew very few of the details leading up to his discovery but had never questioned it. Perhaps she had been too young to really understand, but more likely, she was just more curious since discovering the secrets in the diaries. She would either have to wait until they were back home to unearth the truth in the library, or she could ask her parents outright.

Sighing, she flipped to a page that, while not offering any clues to her current questions, held her interest.

 _November 16, 2018_

 _I woke up again this morning feeling as if I'd been hit by a truck. Before I could say anything, Sheldon greeted me with a cheery "morning!" and a soft kiss on my lips. The moment his lips left mine, I raced to the bathroom to vomit. Sheldon followed me in, concern etched in his handsome face, as he helplessly watched me dispose of the remainder of my stomach's contents._

 _I crawled back into bed for a few minutes, and soon I felt much better. I laid out my clothes and slipped out of my nightgown, but Sheldon slid it back over my head. He said he already called work and told them we weren't coming in. I tried to convince him I was fine, it was probably just a little indigestion, but he was insistent._

 _Just like yesterday, I began to feel better by midmorning. I pondered all the reasons. Could it be acid reflux? I planned to change my sleeping position and switch to a pillow that elevates my head. I voiced my suspicion to Sheldon. While he agreed that could be the cause, he didn't appear convinced. He pointed out that my period is nine days overdue. It used to annoy me that he tracked my cycle, but in that moment, I was grateful. We've been working so hard trying to catch up since we returned from Montreal that it never even occurred to me that I was late._

Leah heard footsteps in the hall and shoved the diary under the pillow just in time. Her parents entered the room in their pajamas and approached her bed. Sheldon tucked his daughter under the pink floral quilt and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, sleep tight."

Amy leaned forward and touched her lips to the same spot. "Goodnight, Monkey. Sweet dreams." She flicked off the light switch.

"Wait!" Leah called.

Amy turned on the light. "Is everything okay?"

"I have some questions."

Sheldon yawned. "We're all very tired. Can this wait for morning?"

"It's okay, Sheldon. I've got this." She reached up and pecked him on the lips. "I'll be there soon. Love you."

"Love you too."

Leah waited until her dad shuffled out the door and softly closed the door to the adjacent room then patted a spot next to her on the bed. When her mom was seated, she asked in a serious voice, "Mommy, why were you sad that Uncle Luke teased Auntie Carrie with the child-proof lock?"

"What makes you think it made me sad?"

"Your eyes didn't look happy."

"You're a very observant child," Amy murmured. She slid her double helix charm then quickly dropped it. "It did make me a little sad seeing how they're so comfortable with each other, but they grew up together while I lived all the way across the country."

Leah pondered her mother's words and nodded in understanding. Then another thought occurred to her. "I don't have secret siblings somewhere out there?"

Amy's mouth dropped open. "No!" She lowered her voice. "Leah, you are mine and Daddy's one and only child."

"But you thought you were an only child until you met Grandpa and his two other kids."

"That was different. Grandma Joan was not always forthcoming with me, but I promise you that Daddy and I would never keep something like that from you."

"But if Grandma Joan kept the secret from you for over 30 years, how do I know you aren't doing the same with me?"

"Grandma didn't even know about your auntie and uncle, and she didn't know where Grandpa was. They lost touch before I was born."

"Why? Did they break up?"

Amy picked up her charm again and slid it back and forth. "There is no quick answer to your question, and I'd rather wait until we're back home to discuss this. I'm sorry, Monkey," Amy whispered.

"But..."

"Please, not tonight," she said, wearily. "Try to get some rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day."

"Fine," Leah grumbled.

Amy smoothed back her daughter's hair. "Goodnight, Monkey."

Moments later her parents' door clicked shut. She cocked her ear toward the shared wall but heard nothing except the click of the lamp turning off. Snuggling under the quilt, she shut her eyes and willed herself to sleep by counting sheep. When that failed, she attempted to recite pi to 1000 places but got frustrated when she only made it to 50.

She flipped onto her other side and sighed, fearing she was in for a series of sleepless nights until she had the answers. If her mom was reluctant to discuss it, perhaps she could ask one of the other people involved. She began formulating a plan.


	34. Chapter 34

Leah blinked in the half-darkened room. When her eyes adjusted to the minimal light, she studied her surroundings. This wasn't her room. Was she still dreaming? She squinted at the picture frame on the nightstand. It held a picture of the Boston skyline that Grandma Annette had taken in the 1990s. Then she remembered it was Christmas Eve morning, and they were visiting family in Boston. She stood and shivered, half wishing to slip back under the comforter but knowing she had things to do before the rest of the household knew she was awake.

She peeked out the blinds. The sun had not yet made it's ascent into the early morning sky, but there was just enough light from the moon to make out the unmistakable white of the snow-covered ground. Though they visited every year, this was only her third Christmas in Boston, so seeing the snow was a real treat. Sure there was snow in the mountains of California, but her parents never took her there, opting to stay in the warmer climate of the valley. Their dislike of the cold was key to her plan to get Grandpa Lowell alone.

Leah glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Uncle Luke and Auntie Carrie would be arriving with their families in five hours, but her parents would be awake soon. She wanted to get a little reading in this morning because she may not have another chance later. At noon sharp, they would all gather around the antique dining room table covered in more food than they could ever eat. Following the feast would be tree decorating, parlor games, Christmas carols, then eating again.

Just before bedtime, Grandpa Lowell always read 'The Night Before Christmas' to her and her cousins, while the whole family sat in front of the fire in their pajamas with hot cocoa. It was a tradition carried down from when her aunt and uncle were little. Once again, Leah felt sorry for her mom who grew up without her dad and siblings. Grandma Joan didn't really have any traditions, not since Great Grandma Martin died when her mom was a young girl.

Leah pushed the thought aside, crawled back into the warm bed, and unearthed the diary from under her pillow.

 _November 17, 2018_

 _I picked up a pregnancy test at the pharmacy this morning. I would have preferred going into the clinic to get official confirmation, but of course they're closed until Monday. I couldn't wait that long. I needed to know today._

 _Sheldon and I waited the full three minutes indicated in the instructions, the longest three minutes of my life. When the timer went off, I screwed my eyes shut and asked him to read the results. The only sound was plastic hitting the tile. I cautiously opened my eyes to find him staring at the test he had dropped on the floor._

 _"Are we...?" I tried asking._

 _He nodded mutely, bent down to pick up the test stick, and held it out for me to see. Two distinct pink bars stared back at me. When I finally tore my eyes away from them, I studied Sheldon's expression. He stood motionless, wide eyed and wide mouthed. I waited patiently for the shock to wear off before asking how he felt about the news. He took my hands in his and told me that he was surprised it happened so quickly. It's not like we've been trying that hard. We've been so busy with work lately that most nights we've been too tired to even think about being intimate. Last Sunday was the first time since the convention a month ago._

 _I squeezed his hands as realization dawned. We had conceived on our anniversary. That was more beautiful than any other gift we could have received. For the first time since I peed on that stick, he looked genuinely happy. He kissed me sweetly on the lips before embracing me, his head resting on mine._

 _During dinner, instead of discussing our work, as we usually did, we began preparing for our baby. I'm getting goosebumps again just thinking about it. Sheldon is already planning on turning Leonard's old room into a nursery. He suggested a jungle theme, and I think it's perfect. I briefly pictured a floor-to-ceiling mural. Unfortunately the building management has a strict policy about painting the walls, so we will have to be creative with our decorating skills. One day I hope to own a house so we can do as we please with the walls, the floors, and of course, I still really want a porch like Mary has in Texas._

Leah tucked the diary back under the pillow. She was still a baby when they had moved out of the apartment on Los Robles and didn't remember her jungle-themed room, but she had seen the pictures. Her parents had done a beautiful job decorating. There were wall hangings of monkeys, zebras, and elephants. A monkey mobile hung above the natural wood crib. Even the bedding was covered in animals, much like the comforter she currently used. Leah liked to think they were similar to the mural her mom had desired.

Her stomach growled, and she glanced at the clock again. Everyone should be waking up soon, if they hadn't already. She slipped out of bed again and crept to the door. The faint sound of Grandma Annette humming filled the hallway and gradually got louder the closer Leah got to the kitchen.

Annette stood at the stove wearing a red and white checkered apron. She stirred the contents of the frying pan and turned sideways toward the little girl. "Good morning, Leah. I hope you slept well last night."

"I did, thanks." Leah approached the stove and peeked into the pan. "Scrambled eggs. Yummy! They look so fluffy," she observed.

"The secret is vigorous whisking before cooking them to incorporate air, which gives them the fluffy texture."

While they continued discussing cooking techniques, Amy padded into the kitchen in her nightgown, rubbing her eyes. "Morning," she greeted her stepmom. "You're up early, Monkey. Did the excitement of the holiday keep you awake?"

"I slept the whole night, but I am excited to go sledding again."

"You were only five. You remember that?" Annette asked.

Leah nodded. "It's the first time I remember playing in the snow. Grandpa took me to a park called Sugar Bowl. You stayed home to make sure the house didn't burn down because the turkey was in the oven. Mommy and Daddy came, but Daddy complained of the cold the whole time. Mommy rubbed his hands warm in front of the fireplace when we got back. Auntie Carrie was feeding the twins banana purée, and Uncle Luke had just put Jasmine down for a nap."

"That's quite a memory," Annette marveled, as she turned off the stove.

Leah shrugged. "It's not eidetic like Daddy's, but I remember a lot."

Amy bit her lip. "I don't think Daddy will be thrilled about going again. It's even colder than it was last time."

"I could go with just Grandpa. Then everyone will be happy."

"That might work. We'll check with them before planning anything," Amy advised.

"Check with who about what?" Sheldon asked, as he joined them, fully dressed.

Amy entwined her fingers with his and led him to the table. "Leah wants to go sledding."

"Oh, dear Lord! It's below freezing out there. Why don't we stay here and read or play chess?"

"But I really want to go sledding. I already suggested to Mommy and Grandma that I go alone with Grandpa."

"I suppose that would be alright, if he agrees."

As if on cue, Lowell stepped into the kitchen. He pecked his wife on the cheek, ruffled Leah's hair, then greeted his daughter and son-in-law with a cheery 'good morning!'.

Leah tugged on his sleeve. "Grandpa, can you take me sledding this morning? Mommy and Daddy said it was okay with them," she added, when he looked towards the couple for approval.

"It's fine by us, Dad."

"Great! Let's eat, then we can all drive out to Sugar Bowl."

"Actually, I would prefer to stay indoors," Sheldon confessed, "but you and Leah can go together for some extra bonding time."

Lowell looked to his daughter, who nodded in agreement. "I'll stay here with Sheldon. We can help Annette with the meal preparations "

"Hun, don't you worry about that. You're our guests. Just make yourselves comfortable," the older woman cooed.

Amy blinked. "Guests? I thought we were family."

Annette wiped her hands on the apron then rested them on Amy's shoulders. "Of course we are. I just thought that since you're on vacation, it would be impolite to ask for help."

Amy slid her double helix charm. "I want to help. It's what families do."

Leah watched as the older woman sat next to her mom and took her free hand. "I would love that. It will give us more time to bond too."

xxx

Leah swung the van door open the moment Lowell turned off the ignition.

"Hold on. It's really crowded here today. We need to stick close together."

"Okay." She shut the door and waited inside as he climbed out and pulled the old toboggan from the back. He set it on the ground then opened her door and helped her down.

With the toboggan's rope in one hand and Leah's mittened hand in the other, they trudged up one side of the inverted bowl-shaped hill, careful to stay off the path of the dozens of children sliding down. When they finally reached the top, Leah wasted no time boarding the wooden contraption. When Lowell was certain his granddaughter had a firm grip on the rope, he counted down from three then pushed just hard enough to send her down the slope.

"Wheeeeeeeee!" She screeched, as she sailed past other children climbing back up. Within seconds she reached the bottom. When she came to a complete stop, she grabbed the rope and began tugging it up the hill. Lowell met her halfway to relieve her of pulling duty.

On her fourth trip up, Leah thought back to the day five years ago when her grandpa had first brought her here. She had been skeptical about the activity until he told her how much fun her aunt and uncle had had on the same toboggan twentyish years earlier. He had even called Uncle Luke right from the park so he could confirm that statement. Her dad had the same terrified look in his eyes as he did when she wanted to pet the sharks at the aquarium. Her mom whispered in his ear, and he visibly relaxed. Leah had then sat down on the toboggan. She looked over her shoulder as her mom cheered her on.

She hadn't noticed it at the time, but thinking back to that moment, though her mom was smiling, she had a faraway look on her face - the same faraway look she had when her siblings teased each other at the airport yesterday. That realization reminded of the real reason she wanted to come here today.

Lowell retrieved the toboggan once again. His movements became slower each time. Leah knew that though he had been very young when her mom was born, he was now nearing retirement age. He still worked full-time on the biomedical unit at Mount Auburn Hospital and kept somewhat active with daily walks, but she realized he wasn't as nimble as he was even three years ago. When he caught his breath, she suggested they rest awhile before she made her next descent.

Lowell rubbed his mittened hands together and tied his scarf tighter. "Besides school, what else have you been up to?"

"We celebrated Mommy's birthday last week."

"Oh, yes. Thanks for the reminder. I'll need your help finding the perfect gift. I found a couple of things I thought she'd like, but I need a second opinion."

"Because you don't know her well enough," Leah mumbled.

"What was that? My hearing is not what it used to be."

"Nothing." Leah gazed past the park to the harbor beyond. She took a deep breath then turned back to look him straight in the eye. "Grandpa, what happened with you and Grandma Joan? Why didn't you get married?"

He raised his brows. "Why do you ask?"

"Mommy didn't even meet you until 11 years ago. She said you and Grandma lost touch before she was born. Did you have a big fight?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Did you ever try connecting with Grandma again?"

"I wanted to but I couldn't."

Leah tilted her head to the side. "Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"I can multiply triple digits in my head. My dad said it's something even most people his age can't do, so I think I can handle it. Why couldn't you connect with Grandma?"

Lowell sidestepped the question with one of his own. "What have your mom and dad told you about my relationship with Grandma Joan?"

"They told me you met Grandma on a plane when she flew here to go to Harvard Law School, that she raised Mommy by herself, and that Mommy didn't meet you until she and Daddy were engaged. She didn't know about Uncle Luke or Auntie Carrie until then either."

Lowell rubbed his temples. "I think it's best that your parents give you all the details."

"Why?"

"I just think it's better that you hear it from them."

"Why?"

"They'll know how to word it."

"But you were involved. Only you and Grandma know the truth."

"Your parents know everthing there is to know."

"Then why is it such a big secret from me?"

Lowell motioned for Leah to sit on the sled. When she was seated, he adjusted the angle with respect to the hill's slope. "The truth is your Grandma and I hardly knew each other."

"So you only went on a few dates?"

"Not exactly."

"I don't understand."

"It's best if you get the whole story from your parents. They'll know the most ideal way to explain the situation. I never was very good at those types of talks. Grandma Annette was always the one who answered your aunt and uncle's complex questions."

Leah pondered his words but was even more confused than she was before the interrogation. Why couldn't he just tell her? In what way was his relationship Grandma Joan complicated? She tried to come up with possible scenarios but came up blank. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up. She could drop the subject and wait until she was back in Pasadena before asking her mom again, or she could try one more question. "Did you love Grandma as much as Daddy loves Mommy?"

Lowell ran his hand down his face. "Your parents have been together for many years. They have a special bond. Your Grandma Joan and I didn't spend nearly as much time in each other's company."

"So, you didn't love her as much."

Lowell sighed and looked out at the families enjoying the day. Parents with their young children and young teenage couples talked and laughed as they ascended and descended the hill. He slowly turned his gaze back to his granddaughter. "I'm rested up again. Let's get you down the hill a few more times before we need to head back."

Leah looked down at her legs. "Okay," she mumbled.

"Now hang on tight."

Leah grasped the rope. "I'm ready."

Lowell gave her a small push, and away she went to the bottom of the hill, the initial exhilaration of the speed now replaced with confusion over her family's mysterious past.


	35. Chapter 35

After her morning of sledding, Leah had barely enough time to remove her winter wear and hang her mittens up to dry before the rest of the family arrived at her grandparents' house. She had hoped to get in a little time to observe the dynamics between her mom and Grandpa Lowell after her odd conversation with him at the park, but she was bombarded by attention from her little cousins.

Carrie's 4-year-old twin boys, Hayden and Logan, each tugged a hand and attempted to pull her to the kitchen where their grandma was putting the finishing touches on lunch. Leah managed to coax them to a stack of board games in the living room. The boys rifled through the choices, finally settling on a picture matching game for ages 3 plus, much to Leah's dismay.

Luke's 3-year-old daughter, Jasmine, hid behind her mom's legs. The little girl had been very shy the first day when the Coopers had visited over the summer but had proved to be just as chatty and rambunctious as the twins. Leah called her to join them but wasn't surprised when her littlest cousin shook her head and stayed close to her parents. It would most likely take her a little time to warm up to them again.

Leah secretly watched her own mom out of the corner of her eye. She was busy talking and laughing with her sister and sister-in-law while the men engaged in a conversation of their own. Logan tugged on her sleeve to call her attention back to them. She sighed inwardly and helped them set up the game.

"Youngest goes first!" Hayden shouted.

"You're only 5 minutes younger," Logan grumbled.

"Fine, then the oldest goes first."

Leah flipped over a card with a cow and another with a cat. No match, but she would remember where they were when she found the others. She flipped them face down again then watched as Logan flipped over a cow card. She expected him to flip the cow card she had found moments earlier, but he went for another card and found a dog. How did he already forget where the match was? Sure, he was only 4 years old, but not only had she had aced memory games at that age, she was also solving simple math problems.

"Lunch is ready!" Annette called from the doorway.

"But I didn't get my turn yet," Hayden whined.

"There will be plenty of time for games later," Annette promised.

Leah followed her parents into the dining room and took a seat next to her dad.

Annette gestured to a card table decorated with festive paper plates and plastic cups. "Hun, there's a spot for you here at the kiddie table."

Leah glanced at the little table in the corner. Uncle Luke peeled his daughter off her mother's legs and set her into one of the four chairs. Though Leah wasn't thrilled about the prospect of engaging in more kid speak, the chair facing the adult table was still free. She would have a better vantage point to view the action than her current spot. She claimed the seat just as Carrie and her husband Matt entered the room with their boys, who were still complaining about finishing the game they had barely started.

When everyone had filled their plates, Lowell stood to give a toast. "Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays, and this year is particularly special because I get to spend it with all of my children." He smiled at each of the three of them in turn, his gaze resting on Amy's the longest. "To family!"

"To family!" The adults repeated, as they all clinked wine glasses.

Leah held her punch-filled red cup in the air, but her table mates stared at her puzzled. She quickly took a sip then set it down.

"Leah, how come you don't visit?" Hayden asked with a mouthful of turkey.

"I was here in June."

"We come here all the time," Logan revealed. "You must not love Grandma and Grandpa as much as we do."

"That's not true. I can't come here much because I live in California."

"What's California?" Jasmine asked.

Leah blinked in surprise at the first words the little girl had uttered. "California is a state on the other side of the country. It's almost 3000 miles away, which is really far," she explained. "That's why we only visit once every summer and every third Christmas."

"Are you coming next Christmas?" The little girl asked.

"No. Every third means one in three. We take turns spending time with all my grandparents. Next year I'm going to Texas, another far away state, to see my Meemaw Mary. She's my dad's mom. The year after that, I'm staying in California with my Grandma Joan. I'll be here again the year after that."

Hayden tilted his head to the side. "How many grandmas you have?"

"Three."

"Mama, why does Leah have three grandmas, and I only have two?" Hayden shouted.

The conversation at the adult table came to an abrupt halt. Leah observed the odd array of reactions, from Grandma Annette's pinched face to Grandpa Lowell's embarrassed expression to her mom's look of guilt. Carrie and Matt began speaking in hushed tones, occasionally stealing glances at their boys, who continued to look at them expectantly. Jasmine stuffed a glazed carrot in her mouth, totally oblivious to the tension in the room.

After what felt like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes, Carrie came over to the card table and crouched down between her sons. "Leah has three grandmas because she had a bigger family."

"Okay," The twins replied simultaneously.

Carrie patted their shoulders then returned to her spot at the big table. Leah slowly chewed a bite of mashed potato. That was it? Her cousins were just going to accept that answer? Where was their curiosity? She studied their movements and expressions. They continued eating and talking as if nothing had happened.

She observed everyone at the other table, where the conversation had resumed. Uncle Luke praised Grandma's cooking, and her grandma admitted she had some help from her mom. On the surface it appeared as if everyone was having a wonderful time, but she could spot the subtle differences. The most obvious was the forced smiles, especially Grandma Annette's. Her mom still looked slightly guilty. She also noticed her dad trying, and failing miserably, to eat with his left hand. His right was out of her view, but she was almost positive it was under the table holding her mom's.

"Leah?"

She turned her attention back to her own table to find all three of her cousins looking at her expectantly. "I'm sorry. What?"

"What did you ask Santa to bring you?" Jasmine asked.

"Oh, um, I didn't ask for anything."

Three little mouths dropped open. "But how will he know what to bring you?" Logan asked.

Leah shrugged. "I'm happy with whatever I get in my stocking," she replied. She was relieved that the other children accepted her answer and quickly moved on. She was proud of herself for expertly skirting around the issue without lying.

Her mom had made it perfectly clear not to let on that Santa wasn't real, that it was for the children's parents to decide when to tell them the truth. If only other parents were as straightforward with their children as hers were. She had been brought up knowing of the lore of Santa, a silly tradition many families took part in. Her dad had some especially ludicrous stories from his childhood that Meemaw Mary had used to try to make him believe.

She chuckled to herself at the ridiculousness of it. How could anyone, even a young child, believe that a man in a red suit delivered presents to millions of children in one night by flying around on a sleigh led by reindeer? Her parents were right not to take part in such nonsense. She loved how logical and honest they were.

Then she thought back to Hayden's question minutes earlier. Why did she have three grandmas? Of course she knew only two of them were biological, but what was the whole story? While her parents weren't exactly lying to her, they _were_ keeping something from her. As her cousins were busy listing all the presents they hoped to receive, she directed her attention back to the adult table. The underlying tension was still there. For now all she could do was observe, but she was determined to discover the truth.

xxx

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent decorating the tree, playing games, singing Christmas carols, eating until the whole family was stuffed, then story time before the children hung their stockings and left milk and cookies out for Santa.

It was much more activity than Leah was used to, and she was grateful for the quiet solitude of her borrowed room. She lay back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling. It was late, and she knew she should just try sleeping, but she needed a quiet activity to get in the right frame of mind. Reading would be perfect. She reached under the pillow and extracted the diary. Maybe if she was lucky, there would be some insight into her mom's birth story, maybe a parallel to hers. Maybe.

 _November 19, 2018_

 _It's official. We just returned from the clinic where they confirmed I'm pregnant. Sheldon squeezed my hand as we watched the tiny being we created on the monitor. The tech emailed us a file of some images and gave us a printout too. Our very first pictures of our child. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Sheldon insisted we stop for magnets on the way home. The moment we got back, he carefully removed the image from of the envelope and hung it on the fridge. He's already a proud daddy._

 _I had the urge to run across the hall and tell Penny but thought better of it after remembering the babysitting fiasco. We also decided not to tell our other friends yet, not until we summoned the courage to tell Leonard and Penny. They're our best friends and deserve to be the first to know._

 _Instead we called Mary. I wish I could have seen her face when we told her the news, but I am grateful for speakerphone. She sounded more excited than I've ever heard her. The mood changed briefly when she said we'd been blessed with a gift from God, and Sheldon corrected her by saying it was a gift from our genitals._

 _We decided to tell my mom in person rather than over the phone. I called to invite her for dinner this week. She was understandably skeptical, as we rarely invite her over. She has to work late tomorrow but suggested Wednesday. I'm honestly not sure how she will take the news. I'm envisioning her being excited but a little sad because of the situation surrounding my conception, but I could be wrong._

Leah used a corner of her pillowcase as a bookmark then sat back against the headboard. What situation surrounding her mom's conception? Did it have something to do with Grandpa Lowell's question evasion? Now she had even more questions than answers. She decided to make a list of all the facts and see if she could piece the mystery together. She just needed paper and a pen.

She rummaged through her suitcase, which she still had not unpacked, and pulled out a pen and her rainbow diary. She had planned on writing her first entry on January 1, the logical starting point, and didn't want to mark it before then. Maybe she could just rip out one sheet. She pinched the top corner of the first page between her thumb and forefinger then quickly released her grip, leaving the page intact. There must be something else she could write on.

She didn't have to shine her booklight at the nightstand to know there was nothing of use there, but what about the drawer? As much as her fingers itched to open it and reveal its contents, she knew it was wrong to snoop through her grandparents' belongings. She racked her brain for another option.

She remembered seeing a notepad on the kitchen counter next to the old landline phone. Grandma Annette preferred it over the cell phone Uncle Luke gave her when he upgraded to a newer model.

She cautiously opened the bedroom door and looked down the hall. No one. She tiptoed to the kitchen, looking over her shoulder periodically. When she reached the counter, she hesitated. Dare she tear off a sheet? It was only one little piece of paper, and the notepad's purpose was to take notes. Plus it was sitting there in plain site, not hidden in a drawer. She looked over her shoulder again. The coast was clear, so she stretched her fingers out and pulled the little book closer to the counter's edge.

The sound of footsteps nearing froze her on the spot. It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong, but the thought of being caught sneaking around when she was supposed to be sleeping was terrifying.

The lights clicked on, and there stood her mom in a long flannel nightgown, her hand at her heart. "Leah! What are you doing up?" She stage whispered.

"I need paper."

Amy glanced at the stove clock. "At 11 p.m.?"

Leah looked at her slippered feet and nodded. "What are you doing, Mommy?"

"Getting a glass of water." She retrieved a glass from the cupboard and turned the faucet just far enough to get a small stream. When the glass was full, she turned back to her daughter. "Why do you need paper?"

Leah squirmed under her mom's watchful gaze. "I'm making a list."

"And this list is so important that it can't wait until morning?"

Leah nodded again. "It will help me sleep if I can write it tonight. Otherwise, I'll be worried I might forget something." She tried controlling her body language. She blinked at a normal rate and kept her hands from shaking while her mom studied her.

"Okay, but please get some sleep after that." Amy ripped the top piece of paper off the pad and handed it over.

"I will."

Leah took her mom's outstretched hand and allowed her to lead her back to her room. She panicked briefly when she remembered the diary was sitting out in plain sight then relaxed when her mom bent down to kiss her forehead and retreated to her own room.

Back in bed, Leah quickly shoved the diary back to its hiding spot. Pen poised above the paper, she pondered the best way to compile the information. She started by writing what she knew prior to the visit, then the little info she had gleaned from her grandpa, followed by her observations. She read and reread her brief notes and sighed. This must be how detectives felt when they were working on a cold case. She read through the page again. There must be something she was missing. Perhaps a good night's sleep was what she needed to recharge her brain.

Leah tucked the note paper in the rainbow diary and zipped it in her suitcase then lay down and closed her eyes. Visions of her grandparents continued to invade her thoughts. That night she dreamed she was a brilliant scientist who had previously won the Nobel prize for chemistry and was now struggling to solve the simplest equations.


	36. Chapter 36

Sheldon blinked his eyes open. It was nearly-pitch black in the room. The only illumination came from the faint glow of a street lamp across the road and the red 3:56 glowing on the bedside alarm clock. So why was he awake? This was their second night in Boston, and he had no trouble sleeping the night before. He wasn't hungry and didn't need to use the bathroom.

Maybe he had subconsciously heard an unfamiliar sound. With 12 people under one roof, the probability that someone was awake was high. If he wasn't so tired, he would calculate those odds. It wouldn't surprise him if one of the children had woken up in the hopes of getting a peek at Santa.

He mentally shrugged, fluffed his pillow and nestled back into it, then closed his eyes. As he waited for sleep to consume him again, he was startled by a light kick to his leg. Just Amy shifting in her sleep. Maybe that's what had woken him in the first place. The kick was soon followed by another then another.

"I'm sorry," Amy mumbled into her pillow.

Sheldon kissed her cheek, slung his arm over her waist, and nuzzled her hair with his nose.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled louder, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

Sheldon still wasn't very good at discerning emotional cues, except when it came to his wife. He had assumed she was apologizing for kicking him, but now it seemed as though she was talking to someone else. It could just be a bad dream, but his brain was telling him it was more than just a dream. "Amy," he called quietly. When she failed to respond, he tapped her arm. "Amy."

There was no response other than a continuous repetition of "I'm sorry's". Afraid this behavior would escalate into a night terror, he tried again, shaking her gently. "Amy, you're okay. It's safe."

She opened her eyes, twisted her head around, and stared at him. Even in the dimly-lit room, he could see the haunted look, and it scared him. "Sheldon?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"I'm right here; you're safe," he whispered more calmly than he felt.

Amy's eyes darted around the room, eventually resting on her husband's. "It wasn't just a dream."

"What wasn't just a dream?"

"This," she murmured, her hand gesturing to the room.

"I don't follow."

"This... here... Boston..." She struggled to sit up against the headboard.

He furrowed his brow. "Yes, being in Boston is real, but what are you afraid of?"

"I ruined another holiday. First Thanksgiving and now Christmas."

"You didn't ruin anything."

"Yes, I did. My presence is making everyone uncomfortable."

Sheldon propped his head on one hand and stroked her arm with the other. "Nothing that happened is your fault."

"If I hadn't been here, the awkward silence at lunch would not have happened. My existence makes my family uncomfortable. I ruined everyone's lives," she sniffled.

"Amy what are you saying? Are you saying that you wish you never existed?"

"I just wish the circumstances had been different. I was a burden to my mother growing up, and now I'm making my dad's family uncomfortable."

"Your parents love you. Your mom has an odd way of showing it, but I know she does. And your dad does too. He accepted you right from the beginning, even before he was positive he was your father."

She snorted. "He did, but Luke didn't."

"It didn't take him that long. It was just a shock to learn he had another sister. Now he adores you; he looks up to you. Carrie too."

"And yet she avoided answering Hayden's question."

"No offense, but your niece and nephews are average intelligence for their age. It's doubtful they would understand the complexities of your family dynamics. Even Leah had questions about conception and pregnancy, so I highly doubt the little ones would know anything about the topic. Perhaps it was the only explanation she could come up with that didn't create mass confusion."

"Maybe you're right. Perhaps I've been looking at this emotionally when I should be thinking more logically. Thanks, Sheldon." She planted a soft kiss on his lips then snuggled against him and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

xxx

Leah heard a soft knock on her door. She squinted at the clock and was surprised to see it was almost 8 a.m. How long had she been sleeping? She hadn't checked the time after her last attempt at trying to make sense of her list, but it must have been well past her bedtime.

Another knock sounded at her door. "Leah, wake up. Pancakes are almost done," Amy informed her.

"I'll be out soon."

Today would be another busy day. Immediately following breakfast, they would open presents, then it was off to church for Christmas mass. Her grandparents weren't as religious as Meemaw Mary, opting to attend services mainly during the major holidays, but unlike her parents, they believed in the season's deity, as evidenced by the tabletop nativity scene on the fireplace mantle.

After church would be lunch, leftovers from yesterday's meal. Then she wasn't sure what to expect. The last time they had visited over Christmas, her cousins were too young to play with her, so she spent the day coloring in the new coloring book she got from Uncle Luke and Auntie Jessica, while she half listened to the adults talk in the living room. What had they discussed? Had there been clues to her questions about the relationship between her mom's biological parents? If only she had paid more attention. Maybe she would get another chance to listen in today.

She finger combed her hair and gazed at her reflection in the dresser mirror. Satisfied, she decided to sneak in a little reading until she was summoned for breakfast.

 _November 21, 2018_

 _Mom wanted to hear our news the moment she stepped through the door, but I convinced her we needed to eat first._

 _Sheldon and I left work early so we would have time create the perfect homecooked meal with all of her favorite foods. We roasted a chicken and served it with garlic mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and a garden salad with the grape tomatoes from the farmers market that she likes. I held my breath waiting for her to criticize our cooking skills, but she actually complimented us!_

 _After we cleared the table, I ushered her to the couch. On the drive home, we had rehearsed how we would broach the topic and decided it was best to just come out and say it, rather than beating around the bush. I squeezed Sheldon's hand as the words came out of my mouth - "You're going to be a grandma."_

 _Mom sat stock still for the longest moment in history. I was afraid she'd had a stroke, but she quickly recovered. I asked how she felt about the news. Instead of answering my question, she commended us on waiting until we were married to get pregnant. She's one to talk, but I held my tongue. Even if we had gotten pregnant before we married, at least we've been in a committed, loving relationship._

"Leah, breakfast time!" Sheldon called.

Leah sighed. She was just getting to the good part. "Coming!" She hid the diary under her pillow and joined her parents in the hall.

Without being asked, Leah immediately took her seat at the kiddie table. Her cousins were already there, complaining about having to wait to see what Santa brought.

"Did you see him?" Logan asked his table mates.

"Not last night, but Mommy took me to see him at the mall," Jasmine declared.

"Mama, why didn't you take us to see Santa?" Hayden pouted.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie. Maybe next year."

"I don't wanna wait that long."

The twins continued to complain among themselves, and Leah tuned out the rest of the conversation. She chewed her food thoughtfully while keeping an eye on the big table.

Everyone waited until Grandma Annette hung up her apron and took her seat before they dug in. She couldn't hear the conversations, but there was a lot of smiling and laughter. Yesterday's uncomfortable silence appeared to be forgotten. Of course, everything had seemed fine until Grandma Joan was mentioned.

She replayed Grandpa's responses to her questions at the park. He appeared uneasy with the topic of her mom's biological mother, but why? A small part of her wanted to bring her up again to gauge everyone's reactions, but if her theory was correct, she didn't want to cause problems for her mom.

Breakfast flew by, and soon everyone began clearing the table. Uncle Matt ushered the twins and Jasmine to the living room while Auntie Carrie and her mom loaded the dishwasher. They were chatting and giggling, much like she and Cadence did. It was strange seeing them working side by side. If not for the 8-year age difference, they could almost pass for twins. They looked more alike than the actual twins, whom were fraternal, and therefore no similar than any other siblings. Leah found it interesting that the half sisters resembled each other more than full brothers. There were subtle differences, of course. Her mom's face was oval, like Grandma Joan's, while her aunt's was round, like Grandma Annette's. They had different noses but the same dark hair, and all three siblings had their dad's green eyes.

Leah felt a little sad that she would never have a sibling but understood her parents' reasons for opting against more children. The closest thing she had to siblings were her cousins. They only had one more full day in Boston, and here she was ignoring them.

She handed her mom the dishes from the kiddie table and was about to join her cousins in the living room, when she noticed her dad following her grandpa to the attached garage. What were they doing there? Her mom raised her eyebrows at their retreating backs. Carrie whispered something to her that caused her eyes to widen, then they resumed loading the dishes.

That was weird. As curious as she was, Leah decided ask her mom about it later when she got her alone. With one last look over her shoulder at the sisters, she went in search of the others.

Her uncles were trying, and barely succeeding, to keep the kids from peeking in their stockings.

"We need to wait for everyone. They all want to see what you got," Luke informed them.

Logan tugged Leah's hand, pulling her toward the fireplace. "Leah, I felt your stocking. I think there's a book in there."

Matt apologized to Leah for his son's behavior, and Leah waved him off. "It's okay. At least I don't know what book."

Soon the rest of the family settled on the floor and chairs surrounding the tree - everyone except Sheldon and Lowell. Now Leah's curiosity was really piqued. The walls and shelves were covered in decorations, and the tree was surrounded by presents for the whole family. Everything looked ready to go. What could they possibly need in the garage?

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jasmine tear a hole in a present labeled 'Leah'. She was about to distract her when a knock sounded at the front door. Ten heads swivled toward the sound.

"I wonder who that might be?" Annette asked. Leah noted the slight wink she gave Carrie as she passed by to get to the door.

"Ho ho ho!" A familiar voice boomed.

Leah's jaw dropped as a tall, lean, beardless Santa followed her grandpa into the living room and sat on the empty couch. How on earth did her dad agree to wear that costume? He wasn't a fan of Christmas and even less of a fan of the mythical man in the red suit. She frowned and met her mom's eyes to gauge her reaction. Instead of shock, she sent her a silent plea not to spoil it for her cousins. Leah acknowledged it with a slight nod of her head.

"Santa!" The kids shouted excitedly, and Leah belatedly joined them to go along with the charade.

The boys stood and lined up next to the couch. Luke tried to get his daughter to do the same, but she shook her head and explained that she already saw the real Santa last week.

"This _is_ the real Santa," he insisted.

"No, it's not. Santa has a beard."

Hayden scrutinized the man in the red suit. "She's right. This can't be Santa. Everyone knows Santa has a beard."

Leah watched her dad pull on his collar and stepped in. "Maybe he got sweaty from delivering all the presents last night and shaved to keep cool."

"That is correct. I shaved this morning."

The boys accepted the answer, but Jasmine didn't appear convinced. Hoping she would follow her lead, Leah stepped up to the couch, but the younger girl wouldn't budge.

Hayden wasted no time climbing on Santa's lap and immediately began asking questions about the reindeer. "Is it true Dasher likes apples, and Dancer likes carrots?"

"Umm..."

"I think you mean Dasher likes apples more than Dancer, right Santa?" Logan corrected.

"Umm.."

"Actually, reindeer mostly eat moss, ferns, and fungi," Leah informed them. "I read about it in an arctic animals guide."

Hayden frowned. "Then why do we give them carrots with Santa's milk and cookies?"

"Everyone is right," Luke interjected. "They mostly eat the foods they find in the arctic, so that's why we give them carrots. It's a nice treat for them."

"Like a reward for carrying Santa and all the presents?" Logan asked.

Luke nodded. "Exactly."

Sheldon mouthed a silent thank you to his brother-in-law then attempted to get in character. Leah could see him struggling to say the right thing. He was clearly uncomfortable in the role, and the relief on his face was evident when he informed the kids he had to get back to the North Pole.

Five minutes later when he rejoined the group wearing his usual attire, the kids never even questioned his mysterious absence during Santa's visit. He even resumed his seat on the couch. Leah watched her mom as she joined him. She whispered something and kissed his cheek.

"Now can we look in our stockings?" Logan begged.

Grandma Annette nodded eagerly, and the boys raced to the fireplace.

xxx

Amy tucked the comforter around her daughter and kissed her forehead. "It's been a long day. Daddy and I are heading to bed too. Goodnight, Monkey."

Sheldon leaned over and did the same. They headed for the door then stopped when she asked them to wait.

"Is something wrong?" Amy asked.

She shook her head no. "I just wanted to talk. We haven't had time alone today."

"Just for five minutes, then it's time to sleep," Sheldon negotiated.

"Okay."

"And we need to keep our voices down so we don't wake everyone," Amy suggested.

"Okay." Leah whispered.

"What would you like to discuss, Monkey?"

Leah scooted over then patted the empty spot on the bed. "Daddy, why did you play Santa? You hate the idea of Santa."

Sheldon accepted the seat on the edge of the bed. "Your grandpa asked, and it was hard to refuse. I tried suggesting Uncle Luke or Uncle Matt for the role, but he pointed out that your cousins were more likely to recognize their dads."

"You could have said no."

Sheldon licked his lips. "We're part of this family, and I really wanted to prove that."

Leah wrinkled her nose. "Huh?"

He directed his next words at Leah but held his wife's gaze. "Mommy and I haven't known this side of her family very long, and it's difficult to get to know them better when we live on opposite coasts. I wanted to do this small favor for Grandpa to get more involved in their lives."

Amy smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "Thank you." He smiled back.

"Was not wearing the beard your way of rebelling?" Leah inquired.

"Actually, Grandpa lost it. We searched the bins in the garage, but it was nowhere to be found."

"Why does he even have a Santa suit?"

"He played Santa at the mall last year."

"Oh! He never told me," Amy admitted.

"He wanted to make a little extra money to fly out and see us over New Years, but they also hired two more Santas, and he didn't get enough hours to amount to much."

Amy swallowed hard. "I didn't even know."

"It was supposed to be a surprise. The only reason he told me was because I asked why he had the suit."

"Did he take the job again this year?" Amy asked hopefully.

"They asked him, but he declined." At her crestfallen face he added, "he told me the hours and pay were terrible. I suggested he visit us during during the off season when flights are cheaper."

"I really hope he comes," Amy said wistfully. "It's been a couple years since he visited. I want them all to come, but maybe not all at once. I want to spend more one-on-one time with them. I feel like I haven't had much of a chance to do that with such a full house."

"Uncle Luke hasn't visited since Jasmine was born," Leah chimed in. "I barely remember that."

"You're right; he hasn't," Amy mused.

Sheldon consulted his watch. "Five minutes are up, young lady. We can talk more about this tomorrow." He stood, tucked the comforter under his daughter's chin, and kissed her forehead again. "Goodnight. We'll see you in the morning."

"Night, Monkey."

"Night." Leah waited for the click of her parents' door then sat up and pressed her ear to the wall. Their low murmurs were too quiet to distinguish the words, so after a few minutes she gave up and lay back against her pillow.

She grew excited at the thought of her family visiting then frowned as she remembered her dad's odd choice of words when he explained why he agreed to wear the Santa suit. Why would he have to prove they were family? Did this have something to do with the tension from the previous day? Did grandpa's side of the family not fully accept them? Is that why they rarely visited?

She struggled to stay awake as her mind went over the events of the day. Everything was perfect, even their excursion to the church. Maybe a little too perfect. Her dad complained when Meemaw Mary forced them to church, but he went along today without even rolling his eyes. She tried to remember this part of their visit to Boston three years earlier but couldn't remember how he had acted at the prospect of attending mass.

She gave up trying to recall that visit and focused on their current visit. Her dad had been on his best behavior. Not only had he worn the Santa suit, but he didn't correct Uncle Luke when he said who instead of whom. His eye twitched, but he said nothing. It was like he was trying to keep the peace.

Leah pressed her ear to the wall again. The murmurs were replaced with complete silence. She decided to give in to her tired body and get some sleep too. Maybe she would find more answers tomorrow. She fluffed her pillow and closed her eyes, and within moments she drifted off into dreamland.


	37. Chapter 37

Through the living room window, Amy watched the outdoor activity. Leah was helping Luke roll a snowball larger than her head. Carrie and Matt chased the twins, as they ran around throwing handfuls of the cold, white stuff at each other. Jessica tried and failed to pull the carrot from her daughter's hand. The little girl bit off the tip, and Amy giggled at the thought of future Frosty with a slightly-deformed nose.

She looked over her shoulder at her husband, who was thumbing through the latest issue of Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Devices that her dad left on the coffee table.

"Sheldon, let's go out there with them."

He set the journal down and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not going outside until I absolutely have to."

"We haven't left the house since we got here. I'm getting cabin fever."

"You go on without me. I'm perfectly fine sitting next to the fire."

"You're sure?" She asked, sidling next to him on the arm of the couch.

"Yes. I don't want to brave the cold, but I also don't want to hold you back."

"I know you don't. Okay. I shouldn't be gone long." She kissed his cheek then went in search of pants and her winter gear.

"Mommy, look!" Leah shouted, the moment she stepped out the door.

"Great job! That snowman is going to be huge!"

Luke gaped at her. "This is nothing. You should have seen Frosty 2005. The bottom ball was 4 feet in diameter. By the time I finished him, there was no more snow on the ground. It was like spring in February."

Carrie, who had been hovering nearby, joined the conversation. "Yet we were the only family with a chunk of snow in the yard in April. That thing took weeks to melt. It was hideous after the first big thaw."

"You're just jealous because you didn't win."

"How was it a competition if I never entered?"

"Exactly."

Amy cut into her siblings' bantering. "I've never built a snowman," she confessed.

Luke's mouth widened and his eyebrows shot up. "Really? Never?"

"Growing up in California, I never got a chance. Then when I moved here for college, I was so busy with classes and never even thought about it. Besides, I would have looked silly being a grown woman without kids playing in the snow."

"Well today's your lucky day, Sis. There is plenty of snow and kids."

Amy looked around the yard again, her eyes falling on her daughter who was trying desperately to push the growing ball across the ground. "Need a little help?"

"Yay! A mommy/daughter fun day!"

Amy bent down and set her mittened hands on the cold, white chunk next to Leah's. "Ready?"

Leah nodded enthusiastically. The ball lurched forward from the extra weight, and soon they were gaining momentum.

"Yes! Frosty 2027 is going to beat your sorry A!" Carrie mocked her brother.

"He might be bigger, but he can't beat me if I'm the one who started him. I'll still be the victor!"

Amidst her siblings' silly argument, Amy heard the sound of crunching snow and looked up in its direction. "Dad! Look at this!"

The figure creating the sound neared closer. "I'm not your dad; I'm your husband," he mumbled beneath the knitted scarf nearly covering his entire face.

"Sheldon!" She gasped. "What happened to sitting by the fire, and why are you wearing my dad's clothes?"

"Your dad convinced me that spending time with my family was precious, and I shouldn't squander it away. He told me to get out there and make new memories then practically shoved this," he gestured to his ensemble, "at me."

Amy surveyed him, from the tightly-woven knit hat down to the heavy boots. "You look warm."

"I feel surprisingly warmer than I would have thought."

"Daddy, help us build a snowman!"

Amy stepped back to allow her husband access to the giant white ball. She held in a chuckle as he braced himself and attempted to push it. Leah leaned against the ball with her shoulder, and it suddenly lurched forward.

Carrie sidled up to her. "How are you enjoying your first snow play experience?"

"It's even more fun than I had imagined."

"If you think pushing snow around is fun, you need to try making snow angels."

Amy stared at the cold ground. "I'm not dressed for that."

Carrie looked her up and down. "Sure you are."

"But I'm not wearing snowpants."

She shrugged. "Me either, but that won't stop me." The younger woman led her out of the snowball's path, held her hand tightly, and before Amy knew what was happening, pulled her down, back first onto the fluffy, white ground covering.

Stunned, Amy looked up at the cloudless, blue sky then to her left where her sister was moving her arms and legs in a rhythmic pattern. She copied her motions and soon heard a squeal followed by a soft thud to her right.

"Auntie Amy, look at this!" Logan squealed.

She twisted her neck to view her nephew shuffling his limbs so quickly they were almost a blur. She gave him a thumbs up. He high-fived her, jumped up, and ran after his brother again. Amy returned her gaze back to the sky and continued to leisurely make her impression in the snow. "If I had known this was so relaxing, I would have tried this during my college years."

Carrie sat up and surveyed their creations. "I wish we had known you then," she said wistfully.

"Me too. I feel like I missed out on so much of my life until I met Sheldon."

Carrie squinted toward her brother-in-law and niece then back at her sister. "Surely you have good memories from your childhood."

Amy laughed bitterly. "Not many. My mom worked a lot to make ends meet..." She reddened. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make Dad out to be a monster for not being there or helping out financially. He didn't even know about me."

Carrie squeezed her hand. "I wasn't thinking that."

Amy sat up and dusted off her pants. "Can I ask you something? And please let me know if I'm making you uncomfortable."

"Sure. Ask away."

"Yesterday at lunch when Hayden asked why Leah has three grandmas, I could almost literally feel the tension in the room. Why did you answer the way you did?"

Carrie bit her lip. "It's a touchy subject for my mom, and I didn't know how else to satisfy Hayden's curiosity without delving into the specifics. That would have just raised more questions."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For making everyone uncomfortable."

"It's not your fault. We all love having you guys here."

"Your mom too?"

"Yes." When Amy looked unconvinced, she added. "She really cares about you and Leah, Sheldon too. When we were out Christmas shopping, she started a conversation with another woman buying gifts for her grandchildren. She asked how many Mom has, and she said four. She bragged about her granddaughter from California and how excited she was that it was finally your year to come here for Christmas."

"Really?"

Carrie nodded. "I think Mom just feels threatened by the fact that she wasn't Dad's first. Plus it was a shock to learn about you almost 30 years after they met. We try to avoid mentions of your mom, and I'm sorry for that. We're all really glad you're part of our family." She scooted over, not caring that her perfectly-formed impression was now marred, and wrapped her in a tight hug.

The sisters didn't even realize Sheldon hovering nearby, listening to every word.

xxx

The exhilaration of the day was wearing off, and sleepiness was setting in, but Leah was determined to finish reading what she started the previous morning. Had the rest of Grandma Joan's visit gone smoothly? Was she excited to learn she had a grandchild on the way? A small part of her worried she had been indifferent, but she would never know until she read to the end. She reread the part about her avoiding the question of whether or not she was excited by the news before continuing with the entry.

 _November 21, 2018_

 _Mom sat stock still for the longest moment in history. I was afraid she'd had a stroke, but she quickly recovered. I asked how she felt about the news. Instead of answering my question, she commended us on waiting until we were married to get pregnant. She's one to talk, but I held my tongue. Even if we had gotten pregnant before we married, at least we've been in a committed, loving relationship._

 _The next thing out of her mouth was 'Have you told your father yet?' So this is how it's going to be, a competition over who knows things first. I honestly answered that we wanted her to know first, since she's the parent who was there for me my whole life. That calmed her somewhat, and she finally appeared excited. She even hugged us, a rare gesture. This is only the seventh time I remember her hugging me over my 36 years of life._

 _We showed her Leonard's old room, described our decorating ideas, and asked if she had any we could incorporate. She seemed simultaneously surprised and thrilled that we were including her. I hope this brings us even closer and that our little monkey can have a healthy relationship with her, as I did with my grandma. If only she were still here to witness me becoming a mother. RIP Grandma Martin._

Leah buried the diary beneath her pillow. She was relieved that she was so loved before she was even born. She suspected Grandpa Lowell was thrilled too, but she would wait to find that entry for another day.

Pulling the covers up to her chin, she settled in for a full-night's sleep then startled when she heard whispers from her parents' room. From their tones of voice, it sounded like her mom was upset, and her dad was trying to comfort her. She scooted over to the wall and pressed her ear against it but still couldn't make out their conversation.

She guessed they must be talking about whatever it was that had happened in the yard. She had found it a little odd when her dad called Uncle Luke over to help her with the snowball. He had gone over to her where her mom and aunt sat in the snow and looked like he was about to speak but just stood there, not saying anything. Her mom had looked perplexed until Auntie Carrie hugged her. She tried steering the snowball closer to them, but Uncle Luke suggested they go the other way so they didn't accidentally run over his sisters.

Leah strained to hear, but eventually sleep won out over curiosity, as the hushed voices continued in the next room.

xxx

"I'm so thankful I'm the only woman you ever slept with. It's reassuring to know there aren't any other mini Coopers out there," Amy murmured.

"Sex isn't the only way to create a child. Remember when we thought about in vitro fertilization?"

Amy stilled. "Did you... Are you saying...?"

Sheldon took her hands in his and ran his thumbs over them. "Twenty years ago, Leonard and I needed a way to pay for extra bandwidth. I was so desperate that we went to a sperm bank."

"But you didn't even like touching yourself, so much so that you were reluctant to massage your neck."

"I thought I could do it, and Leonard assumed I was a semi-pro because I spent so much time locked in my room. The truth is, I just needed time to myself. I mostly just read comic books. It was difficult dealing with a roommate." When she nodded in understanding, he continued. "We never went through with it. We didn't even fill out the paperwork. I made up a story about the possibility of my sperm not generating an intelligent being. I didn't think he'd actually buy that explanation. Of course, any offspring of mine would be brilliant."

"Sheldon, why, after all our years together, are you telling me this now?"

He squeezed her hands. "Because after seeing you still struggling with your identity, trying to fit in with a family you hardly know, I'm even more relieved that I don't have a child somewhere out there wondering where his or her father is. Not to mention how it could affect you if you suddenly found out you're not the only mother of my children."

"Like how Annette must feel regarding my mom. Now I get it. The thought of another woman bearing your children knocked the wind out of me."

"Well, you don't have to worry. I have only ever shared my genetic material with you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "It's such a relief to get that off my chest. This secret has been weighing on me for years."

"You know you can tell me anything. Thank you for sharing." They lay back quietly for a few minutes, then Amy propped herself up on her elbow and regarded him curiously. "So you never masturbated? Even during puberty?"

He shifted to face her again. "I'm not proud of it, but I did once during puberty. I hated that my body betrayed me."

"Were you thinking about girls?"

He eyed her incredulously. "Amy, you know you're the only woman I've ever been interested in. No, it wasn't because of a girl."

"Then what?"

He squirmed and closed his eyes briefly before meeting her gaze again. "When I was 14, I had a vivid dream about trains and awoke to wet pajama bottoms. As if that wasn't bad enough, my body still had the urge to expel more semen. Since I had already created a mess, I stroked myself there in bed until I climaxed. I was so disgusted with myself that I tried to silently recite pi to 1000 places in a attempt to calm down but only made it to 20. I just couldn't stand that sticky fabric on my skin any longer. I changed into my Sunday pajamas on a Wednesday then washed the filthy bottoms and my sheets in the middle of the night. After that, any time I had the urge, I practised kohlinar."

Her fingers played with the buttons of his pajama shirt. "What about after puberty? Did you ever pleasure yourself while thinking of me?

"Yes," he admitted sheepishly. "The first time was during our Valentine's Day train trip. After I kissed you, I had all this pent up sexual energy to release. I was lying in bed thinking of my hands on your hips, the feel of your lips on mine, and the sweet lingering taste of brownies. That was the first time since my pubescent incident that I allowed myself to give into my body's urges." He gazed at her. "What about you? Have you ever masturbated with thoughts of me?"

"Many times, mostly before we were intimate. Gerard was my faithful friend."

"Gerard?" He spat out. "You cheated on me?" He sat up against the headboard and glared down at her, arms crossed.

"Of course not. Gerard was the name I gave an electric toothbrush I used to relieve sexual tension."

He relaxed his arms and moments later dropped his jaw. "Is that why you always excused yourself to brush your teeth?"

Amy blushed. "Guilty."

"Did you continue to use it after we engaged in coitus?"

"Only between our first and second time. It was almost a year between the two. I couldn't wait that long. I used it after every date," she confessed, "but it was never the same after experiencing the real thing. I didn't have your warm body next to mine."

He shifted closer to her. "Like this?"

"Yes. And I just can't get my hands to make my breasts tingle like you can."

"You mean like this?" He pushed up her nightgown and rested his hands on her breasts.

"Yes!" She moaned into her pillow as his fingers massaged her mounds.

He scooched even closer so she could feel his desire pressing against her leg. She snaked one hand under the elastic of his pajama bottoms and wrapped her fingers around him.

"You're a naughty vixen," he murmured. "Really naughty," he added when she began stroking him.

"Do you know what else I can't do for myself?" She purred. Without waiting for a response, she lowered her lips to his. The featherlight, sweet touch evolved into a frenzied, passionate liplock. The tip of her tongue prodded him, and he eagerly welcomed her. As the kiss became more heated, she pressed his member against her most intimate part.

"You're so hot and wet," he growled. Bracing his hands on the mattress, he hovered over her. The bed creaked from the movement, and he jumped up.

"Where are you going?" She whispered when he circled around to the foot of the bed, carrying the comforter.

"I don't want to wake your family or give any indication of our amorous activities."

She sat up and watched as he lay the comforter on the floor, smoothing out all the wrinkles. He surveyed his work then opened the cedar chest next to the bed where the extra blankets were stored. He layered two more on the first one and set another to the side. Amy grabbed the pillows off the bed and joined him in the makeshift nest.

Sheldon pressed the covers against the hardwood floor. "It's still not well padded. I don't want my back or yours to be ground into the floor. How shall we proceed?"

"We could do it sideways," Amy suggested.

"Have you forgotten what a disaster that was?"

"It wasn't a disaster; you just slipped out a few times."

"Six, it was 6 times."

"That was a long time ago. We're more experienced now."

"You do make a valid point."

"And if it still doesn't work, we'll just finish in missionary position again. Laying on my back for a couple of minutes will be worth it."

Sheldon slid his pajama bottoms off then slipped her nightgown over her head and quickly covered them with the extra blanket. He rubbed her shoulders, and the goosebumps from the chilly room air dissipated. His lips sought hers, and she had to stifle in a moan when their tongues mingled and his hands slowly slid from her shoulders to her breasts, where they resumed their earlier ministrations.

When they came up for air, Amy took a moment to catch her breath then pressed her lips to his neck, leaving a trail of tiny kisses from his ear to his collarbone and back up again. She flicked her tongue at his earlobe then gently caught it between her teeth and suckled.

"Oh, dear Lord! You know that's my third most erogenous zone," he murmured.

"That's exactly why I'm doing it," she whispered seductively.

Keeping one hand on her breast, he let the other drift down her belly. His fingers brushed over her soft flesh in concentric circles, mimicking the actions of his other hand. She bucked her hips up when they finally reached her apex. His mouth descended upon hers, drowning out the whimpers. Her own hand traveled down his chest, to his abdomen, and finally settling on his hard length. She lubricated his tip with the precum and began pumping him slowly at first then gaining speed. Her other hand cupped his testicles, gently massaging them. When he was getting near, he removed his hand from her core and rested it on hers, halting her movements. They lay panting, each wanting more but holding out for the ultimate act of intimacy.

Sheldon pressed his lips to her forehead. He kissed her eyelids as they fluttered shut then sprinkled more kisses along her cheekbones and neck. "Ready?"

"Yes."

She shifted closer and swung her leg over his hip for better access. He tilted his pelvis to and fro, blindly attempting to locate her folds. She grasped the base of him and guided him in. "I forgot how delectable this angle feels," she moaned, as he leisurely thrust in and out.

"Maybe we should just keep the pace slow and steady. It was when we sped up that we began having issues the last time."

"That works for me," she sighed happily.

The languid pace gradually increased, and the rhythm became erratic. Determined to keep him from slipping out, Amy grabbed onto her husband's firm posterior and held him steady. When she could tell he was near his peak, she pushed him in as deep as was humanly possible.

"Oh, de...!" He shouted.

With her mouth on his, she muffled the rest of the phrase she knew so well. The warm liquid flooding her core was enough to send her into her own climax. She bit her pillow hard to muffle her scream. They lay spent in each other's arms, their chests heaving. When their breathing returned to normal, they shared a sweet kiss. Sheldon draped his arm over her waist, while Amy's leg remained over his hip, keeping them joined.

"Sheldon?" She whispered, as she struggled to stay awake.

"Hmm?"

"Do you regret not going through with the sperm bank?"

"No."

"It doesn't bother you that you only have one child?"

He shifted his head back to get a better look at her. "Amy, we've been over this before. You are the only woman I ever wanted to have children with. I don't regret the vasectomy or the sperm bank."

"I know you wanted more; we both did."

He rubbed soothing circles over her back. "And now I can't imagine our lives being any other way. Some days I wonder how other people handle having more than one. I am very content with how things worked out. We gifted humanity with an exceptional child."

"She is exceptional," Amy murmured. "She got the best parts of both of us.

"She did." He snuggled against her and sighed contentedly. "Wait, what parts of me aren't the best?"

Amy planted a sweet, sensual kiss on his lips. "You are perfect for me. Goodnight, my love."


	38. Chapter 38

Amy adjusted her seat back and peered around her husband to get a view of the clouds. They were on their way home, and she had mixed feelings about it. A small part of her was relieved that she would sleep in her own bed tonight and they would go back to their routines, but she would miss her dad's side of the family immensely.

It had been a tearful goodbye with individual and group hugs. She held her niece and nephews tightly, knowing they would grow so much before she saw them again. Her dad and siblings promised to keep in touch via texts and FaceTime, but it wasn't the same. Tears threatened to fall again, and she dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve.

Sheldon touched her hand. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she sniffled. "I should probably use the restroom before the beverage cart gets to our row."

Leah obediently set down her book to stand up and let her out. Even with two restrooms on either side of the back of the plane, a short line had formed, and Amy tapped her foot impatiently. When it was finally her turn, she slipped into the tiny space. As she sat down, the tears flowed freely.

The visit had not gone perfectly, but there had been plenty of good times. Through her tears she smiled as images of her family sharing dinner, opening gifts, and frolicking in the snow played on a loop. It was wonderful to be part of a larger family. She enjoyed bonding with her siblings and watching Leah play with her cousins. If only they could experience it more often. If only the circumstances had been different.

An unexpected jolt of turbulence caused her to instinctively reach her hands out to steady herself.

"They sure don't leave people much room," she muttered to herself, as she noted she could simultaneously touch the door and the sink. She shook her head at the absurdity of it. Couldn't the manufacturers increase the size of these even a little?

She tried not to think about how her parents had somehow fit into such a confined space. How did they stand up together, let alone engage in amorous activities? She stood and spun around slowly, barely able to move without touching anything.

A knock sounded at the door, and she jumped. "Amy, are you okay? The cart is coming."

She opened the door a crack and peered at her husband. "I need another minute." He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand and hauled him back. "Actually, I need your help."

"With what?"

"Just get in here."

He looked around wildly. "Amy!" He hissed. "What will people think?"

"Please," she begged.

"There's not enough room for both of us."

"There has to be." He tried to struggle out of her grasp. "Sheldon, please get in here before you make a scene."

He reluctantly stuffed himself into the space, barely able to close the door behind him. "What is going on?"

"I... I had to know how it was physically possible for my parents to... you know."

"Oh, dear Lord!" He murmured. "It's only been 12 hours. Your sexual appetite is insatiable."

"We don't have to actually do it. I just want to figure out how it was even possible." A tear trickled down her cheek.

"Amy, what's wrong? You're so emotional today. I know it's not your time of the month yet, and you can't be pregnant."

She decided to let his comment slide. "I need to know because... why did they have to..." Her voice trailed off as she sobbed against his chest.

Sheldon rested his head on hers and rubbed her back as best as he could. His back was pressed against the door, and her lower body was pressed up against the sink, yet they were so close to each other that it would have been impossible to slip a sheet of paper between them. "Why the tears?" He asked.

"I miss them already."

"I know you do." He kissed the top of her head. "But how does that explain why are we packed into an airplane bathroom?"

"Isn't it obvious? I shouldn't have to travel 3000 miles just see my dad. Had my parents actually had a relationship instead of selfishly giving into their sexual needs, I could have lived a normal, happy childhood with both my parents. My mother would have had more time for me, and maybe she wouldn't have been so harsh if she had gotten laid more regularly." She clenched her hands into his sleeves and sobbed harder, soaking through the front of his shirt.

"Amy!"

"We both know how the chemicals in the brain release endorphins with orgasm. How could that not relieve some of her... her crotchetiness?"

Sheldon ran his hands over her shoulders. "I know the situation is not ideal, and some aspects of your life may have been better..."

"More than just some," she sputtered. "I truly believe I would have had a happy childhood if they had talked afterward and actually gotten to know each other. They must have had chemistry, however briefly, or I wouldn't be here today. We would have been a real family. It's just not fair!" She screamed.

"Amy," he murmured into her hair in a soothing voice, "I know your emotions are running high, but please try to think logically."

She tried to back away but was trapped against the counter. "Logic!" She spat out, fists clenched at her sides. "There is more to life than logic! That's all you ever think about."

"Amy, you know that's not true. I'm not the robotic man I once was."

She sagged against him. "I know. I'm sorry for taking out my frustrations on you."

"I'm sorry too. I should have chosen my words more carefully. What I meant to say was the path you are on in life would not have happened if your childhood had been different. You may not have been as determined to follow your dreams as a scientist if your mom hadn't been so resistant to the idea of a female obtaining a doctorate degree."

"You're not helping."

He tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes. "Then think about us. Amy, had your parents been together, your life would have been so different that you and I probably never would have met. I'd still be a bachelor living in the Los Robles apartment, making Leonard's life a living hell."

"You would have found someone else," she sniffled.

"No. You are my only exception. I have never known anyone as intriguing as you. From the moment we met, you turned my world upside down. You were so patient and kind. Other than my family, no one else ever tried to get too close to me. Early on in our relationship, I felt like I didn't deserve you. I was such a pain in the A, but you loved me in spite of that."

She buried her head in his chest. "Oh, Sheldon."

"It's true. You saved me from the monster I had become."

"You were never a monster."

"You're upset, so let's just agree to disagree." He lifted his head and peered over her shoulder into the mirror. The curve of her hunched shoulders stared back at him sadly. "I know how rough your childhood was, but it made you who you are today - a brilliant scientist, the best wife any man could ever ask for, and a wonderful mother. Would you really want to change that?"

"No. I love our life together, but right now, I feel like I don't deserve you," she sobbed.

They stood clinging to each other wordlessly for several minutes. When her tears ran dry, she reached down and blindly groped for the toilet paper then leaned back slightly over the sink to blow her nose and dab at her eyes. "I'm going to wash up then get back out there. Thank you for... everything."

When he didn't respond, she looked up to find him staring behind her. "What?"

"The sink."

She furrowed her brow. "What about it?"

"That might be how it's done."

"How what's done?"

"How people engage in coitus in such a compact space. It would, at the very least, help with the floor space."

Before she knew what was happening, he squeezed his hands between her waist and the countertop and lifted her up. She watched curiously as he angled his body toward hers, titling his pelvis to and fro.

Without warning, another jolt of turbulence shook the plane, and she braced her hands on either side of the sink. Sheldon stumbled against her, his pants zipper connecting with her skirt a few inches below the waistline.

"I think you might be right," she agreed.

He lifted his eyes to hers, and by an unspoken agreement, their lips met in a gentle kiss. Amy cradled his face in her hands, feeling the barely-there stubble against her soft skin, as Sheldon threaded his fingers in her hair. More turbulence shook the plane, and they froze as an announcement blared over the loudspeaker asking passengers to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts.

"Go on," she urged him. "I'm going to splash some water on my face. I'll be out soon."

"Okay." He kissed her quickly, fumbled for the door latch behind him, and returned to his seat.

Amy slid off the counter and spun around to stare at the mirror. Not even cold water would remove the blotchy red patches on her face, but it would have to do. She peeked out into the aisle, straightened her skirt, and held her head high as she returned to her seat.

xxx

Leah consulted her watch. Her parents had been gone a few minutes. She had seen her mom's tears and worried when her dad went to check on her and still hadn't returned. She briefly thought about going back there to make sure everything was okay, but her dad had asked her to order him a diet Coke if he hadn't returned before the beverage cart arrived.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and twisted around in her seat. Her dad wasn't even in the aisle. She figured he had decided to use the restroom too, though she knew he loathed to relieve himself on any moving vehicle. Maybe instead of worring, she could take advantage of this time alone to read the diary.

She reached under her seat and unzipped her backpack. Her hand dug to the bottom where the diary hid below other books and some snacks Grandma Annette had sent home with her. She glanced back to the restrooms again. Still no sign of her parents. It was still risky, knowing they could come out at any moment, but she was fairly confident she could pull it off without them knowing. She quickly flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for.

 _November 22, 2018_

 _I don't know why I was so nervous waiting for Dad to call. I had sent him an email at work this morning asking him to Skype me at 9 p.m. eastern. I had hoped it would give me enough time to get home and maybe scarf down a sandwich while not being too late for him. The 3-hour time zone difference makes it so difficult to connect during the week, and I didn't want to wait any longer._

 _The call came through right on time. He asked if I was alright because we normally just communicate through email, with the occasional FaceTime on weekends. I assured him everything was fine. Sheldon joined me on the couch and squeezed my hand as I gave Dad the news. He blinked rapidly, and we waited patiently as he fully absorbed the information. I was relieved when his face lit up._

 _He called Annette over, and she congratulated us. I still feel a little strange talking to her. Maybe if I had known her as a child, I'd be used to the fact that my dad had moved on from my mom. Who am I kidding? There was nothing to move on from. They never even dated. Until 22 months ago, he had no way to contact her even if he wanted to. I should be glad he got on with his life, and I am, but the little girl in me still longs for my parents to be together._

Leah jumped when a hand clasped her shoulder. "I'm back. Can you let me in?"

She quickly stuffed the diary into the seat pocket. Her eyes darted around nervously as her dad took his seat and sent her a tiny smile. He seemed preoccupied, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her mom returned soon after, her eyes red rimmed. Normally she would have asked what was wrong, but she sensed her mom wasn't up to a discussion. Instead Leah leaned over the arm rest and lay her head against her shoulder, hoping to provide some comfort.

xxx

"I missed southern California's balmy temperature," Sheldon sighed happily, as they exited LAX and made their way to the taxis. He tossed their luggage in the trunk and informed the driver of their destination as the trio squeezed into the backseat.

Leah leaned forward to view the city lights. They didn't drive through this part of the Greater LA area very often, so it was almost like seeing it for the first time. It wasn't until they turned onto E Colorado Boulevard that she began to recognize the familiar sites of Pasadena - the pizza place they frequented, the coffee shop where her parents had met, a stationary store featuring a display of diaries in the window...

"We have to go back!" The little girl panicked.

"Monkey, we'll be back in Boston this summer."

"Not Boston, the airport."

Sheldon frowned. "Why on earth would we go back there?"

"I forgot a book on the plane."

"A school book? I know they're expensive, but we can afford to buy you a new one," Amy reassured her.

"It's not a school book."

"The same rule applies to any book. We'll just buy you a new one."

"This book is not something you can buy."

"Amazon and other sites sell out of print books. I'm sure we can find a copy," Sheldon soothed.

The little girl shook her head vehemently. "You don't understand."

They pulled into the driveway and paid the driver. Leah crossed her arms over her chest and refused to budge.

"Leah Marie Cooper, you need to get out of the car now so this poor man can get to his next customer," Amy advised.

"We have to go back," she whined, as Sheldon unbuckled her and carried her out of the vehicle. She squirmed in his arms, but he didn't let her down until the car was out of sight.

"Someone's crabby and ready for bed," he determined.

"No!"

"Leah! We taught you better than to talk back," Amy scolded.

"But the plane..."

"I'm sure it's already on the way to its next destination. Tomorrow we'll get you a replacement book," Sheldon promised as he unlocked the door.

Leah stood on the steps looking out into the night sky as her parents hauled the luggage in. The diary could be on its way back to Boston.

Why hadn't she shoved it back in her backpack instead of the seat pocket? Now someone would probably find it and read all about her mom's life. She sent a little prayer up to Meemaw Mary's God that the flight attendants found it first and brought it to the airport's lost and found, but even if they had, how would she retrieve it? Asking her parents to drive her to the airport without admitting exactly what she lost was out of the question.

She trudged into the house, removed her outerwear, and hung it neatly. She couldn't even look at her parents as she passed by. They were disappointed in her for throwing a fit and rightfully so. It was out of character, but she had panicked and hoped they would sense her urgency.

For the first time in her life, she went to bed without waiting for story time or being tucked in. She screwed her eyes shut and hoped sleep would come quickly. Maybe the extra rest would come with the bonus of finding a solution to her dilemma.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N:** **Some of you wondered what will happen now that the diary is no longer in Leah's possession. In this chapter, info on its whereabouts will be revealed along with other surprises.**

 **Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews and comments, and welcome to my new story followers. You all make me so happy! I hope you enjoy this new chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

 _January 26, 2019_

 _My bestie is pregnant, and I can barely contain my excitement! We'll bond over mood swings and weird cravings and shop for maternity and baby clothes together._

 _Penny confided in me that she's still terrified of motherhood, but they decided to just go for it after seeing how excited Sheldon and I are for our little one and how much joy Nathaniel has brought to Howard and Bernadette's lives. I promised I would be there for her day or night throughout her pregnancy and beyond. I even offered to babysit so she and Leonard could have some couples' time and stressed that they didn't have to reciprocate if having two babies to care for was too much._

"Ladies & Gentlemen, we are approaching Logan International Airport. The local time is 10:47 p.m., and the temperature is just above freezing at 34 degrees Fahrenheit, 1 degree Celsius, with a northwest wind at 3 miles per hour. At this time, we ask that you please place your seat backs in the upright position and secure your table trays..."

Sigrid Thorson set the diary back in the seat pocket. She hadn't meant to spy into the unknown woman's life, but her curiosity got the best of her when she inadvertently found the diary as she was searching for the in-flight magazine. She had opened the cover in the hopes that it bore the owner's name. Finding nothing, she gave herself permission to read the first entry, looking for clues to the woman's identity.

There were several references to a Sheldon, whom she gathered was the woman's husband, but nothing more. She decided to keep reading until she found something that would lead to the writer's identity. References to "Mom" and "Dad" and the couple's unborn child "Monkey" were even less helpful. There were a few other first names, but without surnames, it would be nearly impossible to connect the information to the diary's rightful owner.

Sigrid tried to peer over her two seatmates to catch a glimpse of the familiar city lights below. It was good to be almost home, though she longed for the day her studies at Harvard were over and she could move to the warm southern California climate to be closer to her sister, an aspiring actress, who had moved to LA two years earlier. She had spent four short days with her over the winter break, and it just wasn't enough.

Her eyes roamed back to the seat pocket where the diary sat. The mystery woman had also attended Harvard, according to a brief mention when discussing her father. She puzzled over the father/daughter relationship. They didn't seem to know each other well, yet the woman spoke highly of him. There was an entry that strongly hinted that her parents had a one-night stand and another that flat out said only her mother was there for her throughout her entire life.

Sigrid had read many books over the course of her 21 years, yet this true account was more intriguing than any novel she had encountered. It had everything an avid reader could hope for - romance, angst, mystery. Her hands itched to read the diary again to learn more, but by the time she decided to go for it, the plane was already on the ground.

She sighed as they taxied to the gate. The passengers around her turned their cell phones off airplane mode to connect with the loved ones they missed during the 5.5-hour flight. She plucked her phone from her purse under the seat and checked her messages. A text from her boyfriend, Hunter, alerted her that he was running a bit late but would meet her at the baggage claim soon.

As others pushed and shoved their way to the front of the line, eager to leave the confines of the aircraft, Sigrid waited patiently for her row's turn to exit, her eyes once again falling back on the seat pocket. She couldn't just let it stay there. How many others would read this woman's innermost thoughts? Now she was more determined than ever to return it, only she didn't know how.

The woman next to her interrupted her thoughts. "Excuse us."

Sigrid looked up and noted that three-quarters of the plane had already emptied, and her row was next. She stepped aside but instead of walking toward the front of the plane, she took a step back then returned to her seat when her seatmates left. Eyes on the pocket again, she barely noticed the passengers behind her clearing out.

"You okay, Hun?"

She blinked and stared at the flight attendant watching her with concern. "Yes, I was just..." She licked her lips. "Maybe you can help me. I... I found a diary and want to return it to the owner but don't have any identifying information."

The attendant, whose name tag indicated her name was Margaret, took the proferred book and regarded it with interest. "Either someone needs a new calendar, or this diary is nine years old. Who would bring a nine-year-old diary on a plane?" Margaret shook her head in bewilderment.

"I wondered that too."

"Where did you say you found this?"

"It was in my seat pocket the whole time, seat 22C."

"These pockets are supposed to be cleaned out before each flight, but we have a couple of newbies who may have forgotten. Let me check the seating chart of the flight before yours." Margaret handed the diary back and disappeared to the front of the plane.

Sigrid leaned over the seat in front of her and tilted her head but was unable to view the other woman from her vantage point. As the minutes ticked by, she consulted the time on her phone. By this time, her suitcase must have made several trips around the conveyer belt, unless Hunter had grabbed it. Hunter! She sent him a quick text "be there soon" then one to her sister to inform her she was back in Boston.

There was still no sign of the flight attendant, so she opened the diary to a random page and skimmed through the text. Again there was no indication to the woman's identity, but she re-read the entry again, slower this time, to absorb the details.

Margaret was frowning when she returned. "I'm afraid we'll have to keep looking."

"Why?"

"Seat 22C was last assigned to a little girl. From the bits I've read, the writer is definitely not a child."

Sigrid's face fell. "Oh."

"Don't you worry, Hun. I'll look over all of the seating charts until I locate her."

"Thank you." She scribbled her name and number on her drink napkin. "Please text me when you find her. I'm not looking for a reward; I just know I'll sleep better knowing it's been returned."

xxx

After a restless night, Leah was no closer to a solution than she was the night before. She barely greeted her parents when she emerged from her room, and she could see the worry and confusion in their eyes. They still insisted on replacing the book, and she reluctantly went along to the bookstore.

"What type of book are we looking for?" Amy asked.

Leah bit her lip. "I told you, it can't be replaced. We need to contact the airport."

Sheldon scoffed. "We'll never know since we don't have a clue what we're looking for."

Instead of answering, Leah led them to the history section. She tilted her head to get the best view of the titles.

"What's the title?" Amy asked. "We can help you look."

Leah shrugged. "I'm just looking for something interesting."

Amy regarded her daughter curiously. "Are you missing a history book or not?"

"No."

Sheldon threw his hands up in frustration. "Leah, we want to help you, but you're being extremely difficult. Will you please tell us about this mystery book."

"I can't, but you can help by lending me your phone so I can call the airline."

Sheldon shook his head. "Absolutely not! The book is probably long gone anyway. We'll buy you a brand new one."

Leah's eyes widened. "It can't be gone!"

Amy knelt in front of her daughter. "Monkey, why is it so important to retrieve the original copy?"

"I told you, it's irreplaceable."

"Was it signed by the author?"

"No."

"Did Grandpa Lowell or your aunt or uncle give it to you, so it holds a special place in your heart?"

"No."

"What about Meemaw Mary, Grandma Joan, Auntie Penny..."

"No one gave it to me, Mommy."

Amy closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. When she opened them, Leah still had a panicked expression. "Please, just tell us, and I promise we will do what we can to help you."

"I can't."

"Monkey, please," she begged. A young man entered the aisle then quickly backed away. "You know you can tell us anything."

Tears formed in the little girl's eyes, and her lip quivered. "Not this time."

"Is it a sex book?"

She shook her head. "No, Mommy."

Amy swept back a lock of Leah's hair and sighed. "Whatever it is, we won't be mad."

"Yes, you will."

Seeing the young man still hovering near the aisle, Sheldon led his wife and daughter to a small table in the store's café area, away from prying ears. "You're upset, so I'll buy you some hot cocoa. Amy, anything for you?

"No, thanks."

Leah lowered her eyes and traced a scratch on the tabletop with her finger.

"Monkey, Daddy and I love you so much and are so proud of you. You are our greatest achievement. No promotion or award has even come close. We would do anything for you." When she continued to stare at the tabletop, Amy reached over and rested her hand on the tracing fingers.

Leah raised her head just enough that Amy could see tears streaming down her face. "You... you wouldn't be so p...proud of me if you knew w... what I did."

Sheldon returned, setting a mug of piping hot cocoa in front of her. "What happened?" Leah accepted the mug wordlessly. "Amy?"

Amy slid her double helix charm as he sat next to her. "I'm not sure."

"Is this still about the book?" He asked Leah gently.

She gave one brief affirmative nod then swiped at her tears with her sleeve.

"If you can't tell us, can you at least give us a clue?"

"The category starts with a D."

"Dungeons and Dragons?" Sheldon asked. "I can always buy a new dungeon master's guide."

Leah rolled her eyes. "No. You have four more guesses."

Amy scanned the signs in the book aisles. "Dieting?"

"Nope."

Sheldon made a show of putting on an invisible thinking cap. The action always elicited a giggle from his offspring, but not today. She didn't even crack a smile. "Hmm... How about a detective novel?"

"Nope. Only two more guesses."

"Drama!" Amy exclaimed.

"Wrong again. You have one more guess."

Sheldon rested his chin in his hand. "How hard can this be? There can't be that many book categories that start with D."

Leah sipped her cocoa, one eye on her drink while the other watched her parents' confused expressions. If she wasn't so upset, she would find it amusing. She berated herself again for being so careless. The diary could be anywhere by now. Someone could have taken it home, or it could be on its way to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama.

Six months ago her parents had made her sit through an informal educational program on the Travel Channel, where the host took the viewers on a virtual tour of the facility. She had been reluctant to watch at first but soon became enthralled with the concept. The camera panned over thousands of unclaimed items ranging from designer handbags to electronics to toys, and even wedding rings. People came from all over the country to shop for discounted goods. She had felt simultaneously sorry for the travelers who would never see their belongings again and excited for the shoppers. Now her mom could be one of the former.

She shuddered at the thought then nearly dropped her mug as a even scarier thought crossed her mind. Maybe the diary was taken out with the trash. At least with the other scenarios, there was a chance it could be retrieved.

"I need to make some phone calls. May I borrow a phone?"

"You are not calling the airline," Sheldon reiterated. "We can make a call on your behalf, but in order to do that, we need to know what we're asking them to find."

Leah bit her lip. She had a tough decision to make. She could tell her parents the truth, knowing that they would be disappointed and angry at her, or she could give up on ever finding the diary. There was a chance her mom would never find out it was missing, but what if there came a time when she wanted to re-read it and it wasn't there? That could be years from now, and there would be almost no chance of recovering it then.

She took a deep breath and opened her mouth then quickly shut it. Hands shaking, she picked up her mug and drank the remains of the chocolatey beverage. Her parents were waiting patiently, and she felt tears prick her eyes again. She hated to disappoint them.

"It's okay, Monkey," Amy reassured her.

"I..." She licked her lips as she alternated her gaze between the two most important people in her life. "I did a bad thing."

Amy squeezed her hand. "Whatever it is can't be that bad."

"Mommy is right. We will love you no matter what." Sheldon rested his hand on her free hand.

Leah looked down at the three sets of hands then back up to her parents' encouraging faces. It was now or never. "I... I lost your diary on the plane," she whispered.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience. I know many of you have been eager to find out what happened after the cliffhanger in the last chapter. The wait is over. Enjoy!**

Amy frowned. "You lost my diary?"

Leah nodded sadly. "I should have put it back in my bag instead of the seat pocket, but I panicked when Daddy snuck up on me. If we don't call the airline, they'll send it to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama."

"Monkey, I think you just had a bad dream. I didn't even take my diary to Boston. I waited until we got home to write about our adventures."

"Not a current one."

"Not a current one? I don't understand."

Leah squirmed in her chair. She tugged on her collar and twirled her empty mug by its handle.

"Leah, we need an explanation," Sheldon prompted.

She set her mug on the table and wrung her hands in her lap. "I... I found Mommy's diaries in the... in the library."

Amy's hand flew to her mouth. "When? How?"

Leah's eyes remained downcast. "About two months ago. I was looking for something new to read."

"So you read my diary? We own hundreds of books, and the city library is within walking distance. I would have gladly taken you there." Amy reached under her shirt and began sliding the double helix charm then quickly dropped it. "Wait, how did you even know about the diaries?"

"I didn't. It was an accident. I was going to read the science text books and found the diaries behind them. I know it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. I'm a terrible person. You must hate me now," Leah sobbed, as the bookstore's patrons openly stared at the trio.

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you," Amy promised.

"How could you not? I invaded your privacy," the little girl wailed, causing more heads to whip around.

"Let's discuss this privately," Amy murmured. She stood and addressed the crowd with a stern look. "What are you looking at? Show's over."

Many of the onlookers had the decency to look embarrassed and quickly turned their attention back to their beverages, pastries, and books. Sheldon glared at the ones who continued to gape at his family, and they reluctantly averted their eyes.

Leah swiped at her tears with her sleeve. She looked up in surprise when both her parents offered their hands. Cautiously she slipped her hands in each of theirs. Were they just doing it to keep up appearances, or did they truly not hate her? She blinked back tears that continued to fall, as they shuffled out of the store and made the half-block walk to the car.

She crawled into the backseat and stared at her shoes. Now that they were away from prying eyes, she would have to deal with her punishment.

Amy twisted in her seat to face the back. "Leah, please look at me."

Leah slowly raised her red-rimmed eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "You probably wish I had never been born. If you hate me, I understand."

"Nothing you could do would ever make me wish you had never been born. Don't even say things like that. Daddy and I love you very much. I'm not happy that you read my private thoughts without asking, but believe me when I say I could never hate you."

Sheldon nodded. "Agreed." He reached back and ruffled her hair.

"But I'm a terrible, terrible person."

"You're not terrible," Amy stressed. "It's natural to be curious. I just wish you had come to me."

"I'm sorry," Leah sniffled.

Amy dug in her purse and handed her a tissue. "Which one did you read?"

Leah gulped. "I looked at a few."

"I knew you were a fast reader, but really? A few?"

"I didn't read them all the way through."

Amy frowned. "You read bits and pieces of them? What about closure? I've never known you to leave anything unfinished."

Leah looked down again and mumbled, "I read most of your first diary, but I only read the parts of the later diaries I found the most interesting."

Amy took a deep breath in slowly and mentally counted to ten as she exhaled. "What exactly do you mean by the most interesting parts?"

Leah squirmed. "Just things I wanted to know more about."

Sheldon's eyes widened. "Like sex? Is that why you asked me about virginity?"

Leah nodded and couldn't meet their eyes. "I wanted to know how I was conceived."

All the color drained from Sheldon's face. "Oh, dear Lord!"

Amy reached across the console for his hand. He engulfed her fingers in his and squeezed hard. "Monkey, we gave you that booklet and asked if you had any questions."

"But it didn't have details. It just talked about the mechanics. I wanted to know what it was actually like, and you told me not to ask any personal questions."

Sheldon clamped his hand even tighter over his wife's. "Amy, please tell me you didn't write about our intimate details."

She bit her lip. "Not about the actual act on our anniversary in Montreal, just about the tub and the minutes leading up to it, but I wrote in much more detail after our very first time, I'm afraid."

"Amy!" He hissed.

"I'm sorry!" Leah wailed again. "Don't blame Mommy. She wrote in the diaries for herself, and I violated her privacy. Don't get a divorce because of me!"

Sheldon pinched the bridge of his nose. "No one is getting a divorce."

"Daddy and I will be just fine," Amy agreed. "Right now we need to focus on getting my diary back." She pulled her phone from her purse and searched for the airline's contact information. "Which diary was it?"

"The one with my conception."

"Of course it has to be that one," Sheldon muttered.

Leah sniffled as Amy dialed. She crossed her fingers and silently prayed to her Meemaw's God that an honest person turned it in, and it wasn't on its way to Alabama.

"Hello, yes. My name is Dr. Fowler-Cooper. Who would I speak to regarding a lost item?... Yes, I'll hold." She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as the seconds turned into minutes. "Yes, I hope you can help me..."

Leah tried listening to her mom's side of the conversation, but she was so nervous that she could barely concentrate on the words. 'Pull yourself together, Cooper,' she berated herself. She mimicked her mom's earlier breathing technique. Breathe in slowly, hold it, breathe out slowly, repeat. Her nerves calmed just enough to catch the end of the exchange.

"...I see... I will do that...That would be wonderful. Thank you for your time."

"Bad news?" Sheldon asked when she ended the call.

"They don't have it. The lady basically told me there is a very slim chance someone will turn it at this point but suggested I complete the online missing item report just in case. She said the flight attendants check the seat pockets after each flight and are required to turn in any lost items. Someone probably took it."

"Probably some pervert is laying in bed doing unspeakable things while reading about our most intimate moments," Sheldon muttered under his breath.

Leah's tears flowed freely again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Amy exited the car and slipped into the backseat. She rested her head on her daughter's and wrapped her arms around her. "I know you are, Monkey."

Leah sobbed into her chest. "Why aren't you yelling at me?"

"Because I know you feel awful, and yelling at you won't bring my diary back."

"You're not going to punish me?"

"There will be consequences for your actions, but not tonight. Daddy and I need to discuss it first."

"Okay," she sniffled. "I deserve it."

xxx

M _eanwhile 3000 miles away_

Sigrid stomped the snow off her boots before entering her apartment complex. Her shift at the café went smoothly, and for once she was grateful for the mindless tasks she performed there to put herself through college. All day she couldn't stop thinking of the diary sitting on her nightstand and whether or not a clue to its owner's identity lay hidden within the pages.

What was she like? Did she panick when she realized her diary was missing, or was she the type of person who would calmly call the airline and submit a missing item claim? She wondered if it would have been better to leave the diary with Margaret rather than taking it home, but the older woman never asked for it. Maybe it was better this way. Here the diary would have a stationary home until the owner was located, rather than it being lugged from planes to hotels and back again. Plus she was excited to read the rest.

She had shamelessly read a little more after Hunter dropped her off the night before and again before she left for work. Reading about the woman's pregnancy was fascinating. Both she and her husband were scientists, so in addition to the woman's thoughts were various graphs and charts outlining every aspect of the pregnancy. Her favorite one was when they hypothesized why she craved the oddest foods and carefully managed her levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, and other minerals she was less familiar with, to test if the cravings would be reduced.

Her stomach growled at the thought of food. She tossed a frozen entrée in the microwave, sat cross legged on the bed, and picked up the diary.

 _February 7, 2019_

 _Sheldon's been reading all the pregnancy books he can get his hands on. He's become so obsessed that if something doesn't go exactly as stated in the literature, he panics. It was sweet at first, but now he's starting to drive me crazy._

 _I've had trouble sleeping lately and was relieved when sleep came easily last night. I should have woken up refreshed, right? Wrong! I awoke a hour later to Sheldon measuring my abdomen! He was concerned that it wasn't as distended as the ones in the diagrams and was worried the baby's size didn't compare to the fetal growth chart but didn't want to alarm me, so he waited until I was asleep._

 _For the umpteenth time, I explained that I'm not some diagram in a book. Every pregnancy is different. I reassured him that I'm fine and so is our child. He's still unconvinced and scheduled an appointment for me with my OB/GYN tomorrow. Even the office tried telling him we can wait for my follow-up next week, but he was adamant. I will go just to put his mind at ease._

The microwave beeped, and Sigrid reluctantly set the diary on her bed. She stirred her food and paced her tiny one-room apartment while she waited the recommended one minute for cooling time. As she waited, she couldn't help but wonder who was right, the mystery woman or her husband. Was their baby okay? From what she'd read so far, Sheldon seemed very quirky and possessed many OCD qualities. It was also quite possible he was just overly cautious due to inexperience as a first-time parent-to-be.

She sat down at the small, scratched hand-me-down pine table with her meal and the diary and flipped back a few pages where detailed charts in a different penmanship, which she guessed must belong to Sheldon, illustrated everything from morning sickness patterns to mood swings to activity levels. Subsequent ultrasound reports indicated no issues for the woman or fetus. She found some comfort knowing the pregnancy appeared to have been progressing well. Still she couldn't help but worry that something had changed.

After discarding the empty plastic food tray, she flipped to the last page of the diary, hoping to find the answer. It was blank, and so were the eight pages before it. The last entry was dated May 20, about two months before the woman was due.

Sigrid dropped it like a hot potato. _Had_ something happened to the baby? She had planned on reading the entries in order, but now she was torn. The love this couple had for their unborn baby was evident, and she swiped at the tears forming at the possibility they never met their child. Did she dare read the last entry?

Her fingers hovered over the cover. What if the reason the woman had brought the diary along on her travels was to relive the few months she had with the baby growing within her? What if this was the only evidence she had left, besides her memories? Now she was even more determined to locate the woman.

Another thought occurred to her. Maybe the diary ended abruptly because the woman didn't survive. Maybe the husband had been reading the diary to go over the data and determine what went wrong. But why wait nine years? She quickly tossed that theory aside. Something just didn't add up.

Her phone sat on the table mocking her. She still hadn't received a call from Margaret. During her shift, she had pulled it out of her apron pocket every few minutes to see if she had left a message, and each time she felt a little more deflated. She was willing to wait one more day before calling the airline. If they had no information on the mystery woman, Sigrid was determined to locate her herself.


	41. Chapter 41

Margaret Wheeler had come across many forgotten items in her 26 years as a flight attendant, but a nine-year-old diary was a first. Why would anyone travel across the country with something like that? Maybe the woman was dying and wanted to reflect on more joyful times? She shook her head to clear that morbid thought. Perhaps it was just a movie prop? The plane _had_ come from Los Angeles, one of the country's largest film producers, but if that was the case, the writing wouldn't have been so detailed. She quickly scrapped that idea.

The bartender slid her martini toward her, and she absently thanked him. It was almost midnight now, her shift having ended nearly an hour ago, yet instead of checking into her hotel, she was sitting on a swivel stool at the airport bar trying to piece the puzzle together. She took a sip and sighed. Over 24 hours had passed since the diary's discovery, and she was no closer to finding the owner.

After her co-workers went home the previous night, she had stayed behind to do a thorough search under and between each seat. When she came up empty handed, she combed through the seating charts from the earlier flights that day. One of the options looked promising. She jotted down the name and number and tucked it into her wallet with Sigrid's information. Before her shift this morning, she had attempted to call the woman but was sent to voicemail. She left a brief message and a number to reach her at, but each time they landed, she checked her messages and found nothing. It was quite possible the woman was just busy, but her gut told her she wasn't returning the call because she wasn't the diary's owner.

Margaret chided herself for not taking the diary. It could contain clues to the woman's identity to assist in the search. Now all she had to go on were the snippets she remembered reading. She thought about contacting Sigrid, but it was late, and she didn't have any news to report. It was best she didn't get the young woman's hopes up.

She polished off her cocktail and reached into her purse to pay for her purchase. Her hand brushed against a week's worth of seating charts that she intended to look at in the morning. It wasn't how she envisioned spending her day off, but detective work would be so much more rewarding than binge watching missed episodes of The Bachelor while stuffing herself with takeout pizza.

xxx

Sheldon lifted the corner of the comforter as Amy unclasped her necklace. After setting it on her nightstand, she slipped under the covers and pecked him on the lips. Instead of flipping onto her side as she normally did, she stared up at the ceiling.

"You okay?"

"Not really." She twisted her neck to face him. "I can't believe Leah's been secretly reading my diaries all this time. I thought we raised her to be respectable."

"We did, but like you said, it's natural to be curious. You yourself searched through your mom's photos when she wasn't home looking for clues to your dad's identity."

"That's different. My dad's identity was such a secret that my mom refused to discuss him. Anytime I tried asking about him, she locked me in the sin closet..." Amy closed her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. "Sorry. You must be sick of me telling that story. I need to get over it."

Sheldon draped his arm over her waist and kissed her forehead. "You have nothing to apologize for."

She snuggled closer. "Thanks, Babe."

"Of course."

"Anyway, let's get back to our current issue. I can understand Leah's initial curiosity, but why didn't she just come to us with questions? We've always been honest with her."

"We _have_ omitted details."

"We have, but when she's asked, we've always filled in the blanks."

"Except about our amorous activities," he pointed out. "That seems to be what she's most interested in."

She propped her head on her hand. "That and my parents' relationship." Amy subconsciously reached for her double helix charm then dropped her hand as she realized it sat on her nightstand. "Do you think she knows about their situation and is just testing us to see if we tell her the truth?"

"It's a possibility."

"We should have just told her, only how do you explain something like that to an 8 year old?"

"She knows the basics of sex now, so we have that in our favor."

"That's true." She sighed. "I just hope she won't think less of them."

"She's a resilient girl. I'm sure she can handle it."

"I hope you're right, Sheldon."

"We'll tell her before school is back in session so she has time to process the information."

"Okay." Amy twisted her wedding ring. "Now that that's settled, we need to devise a suitable punishment for Leah."

"Tomorrow when we're feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep, we can brainstorm."

"But..."

"Let's get some sleep." Sheldon fluffed his pillow, rested his head on it again, and closed his eyes.

"I can't sleep knowing my diary is out there somewhere. Is it here in California? Is it in Boston? It could even be halfway around the world by now."

"You filed the missing item report. That's all we can do today. Goodnight," he mumbled.

"Wait."

Sheldon opened one eye to find his wife peering down at him, her face mere inches away. He wasn't receptive to most people's facial expressions, sometimes not even hers, but this one he recognized. It was her "I need answers" face. Knowing there would be no resolution tonight, he offered the next best thing. "Would you like some chamomile tea to help you sleep?"

"What I want is my diary back. All the details of my one and only pregnancy are gone." She swiped at the tears starting to form.

"Not all the details. You still have the diary from the last two months when you were on bedrest."

"It's something, but those other seven months are gone," she sniffled.

"Not exactly. Your personal thoughts are, but I have the data all up here," he tapped at his head.

"It's not the same. Now I'll never be able to go back and read it."

Sheldon stood and padded out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"The library. I have something I think you'll like," he called over his shoulder.

Amy tugged at the cuffs of her sleeves and twisted her ring as the minutes ticked by. Finally her husband returned carrying one of his black and white composition books. "What's that?"

"This," he handed it to her then slipped under the covers, "is the first of three journals chronicling every aspect of your pregnancy from my point of view. There's one for each trimester."

She flipped through the pages and gasped. "It's so detailed!"

"I don't know why you're so surprised. You know I'm extremely detail oriented."

"But if you have it all up here," she touched his head, "why go to the trouble of writing it down?"

"I wanted to have written documentation for our child. I plan on giving these to Leah when she goes off to college."

"That's very sweet." She kissed his cheek and flipped to the first page. "Is it okay if I read your thoughts?"

"Please. I have nothing to hide."

She cleared her throat and began to read aloud.

N _ovember 17, 2018_

 _For days I've suspected Amy is pregnant, and now an at-home pregnancy test has more or less validated my hypothesis. The tests claim to have a 99% accuracy rate. However, as a scientist, I need to be 100% certain, so we'll go to the clinic on Monday for confirmation. Even knowing there's a slim chance the test is wrong, I can't help but feel excited at the prospect of gifting humanity with a superior being, as a result of the combination of our genetic material._

 _Our whole dinner conversation revolved around baby preparations. Amy proposed a jungle-themed mural until I pointed out that our lease forbids us from painting the walls. Sensing her disappointment, I consulted Google for alternative apartment decorating methods. The smile returned to her face when I showed her the removable wallpaper borders adorned with monkeys and elephants. She enthusiastically searched for accessories and found blankets, rugs, and other assorted accessories._

 _After dinner we surveyed Leonard's old room, the future nursery. In addition to the crib, Amy suggested a rocking chair, change table, bookshelf, and dresser. I found approximate measurements online and mapped out the ideal placements for each piece of furniture with chalk._

 _Later I surprised Amy by suggesting we watch Little House on the Prairie, and boy was she surprised! When I offered to massage her feet, her jaw dropped. I suppose I haven't been the best husband, but that's going to change. I realize how difficult it's already been for her to carry our child, suffering through morning sickness, and I want to make her as comfortable as possible throughout this pregnancy._

 _We agreed to wait until the ultrasound confirms we were successful in creating the first Cooper-Fowler offspring before spreading the news to friends and family. My mother will be thrilled, and I suspect Amy's family will be overjoyed as well. At least I hope so._

"Sheldon, this is beautiful! I can't believe you did this."

He plucked the book from her fingers and flipped through the pages. "I don't know if you noticed, but I also included the same dietary and measurement charts and graphs here that I added to your diary."

"This is amazing. Thank you." She leaned over and pressed her lips to his.

He set the book aside and ran his hand up and down her arm. "I know this doesn't replace your diary, but I'm glad I can provide some comfort until we get it back."

" _If_ we get it back."

In the next room, Leah's pulled her ear from the wall. They were talking low, so she couldn't discern much, except that her mom initially sounded upset. Her voice sounded much more content now. Maybe the airline found the diary. Leah sighed in relief. That must be it. Only it didn't make sense. Her mom sounded distraught until her dad returned with something from the library. She had heard him say he was going there when he was in the hall and had also heard the familiar sound of the library ladder rolling across the floor.

Had her mom suspected she had taken more diaries from the shelves, and her dad reassured her the rest were still there? He wasn't gone long enough to check the whole length of the wall, so that couldn't be true. So what _were_ they discussing? She put her ear to the wall again, but all was quiet now.

Leah lay back and pulled the comforter up to her neck. She closed her eyes, but guilt kept her from falling asleep. She needed a distraction, possibly something to read. She subconsciously reached under her pillow for the diary then quickly withdrew her hand. The diary was gone, and reading it was what caused her guilt in the first place. She changed tactics and began reciting the digits of pi, like her dad did to calm himself down - 3.1415926535897932384626433... What was next? She groaned in frustration.

Her own diary sat on her nightstand, the pages still empty, as she waited for the new year. She briefly thought about ignoring her own rule to wait, but just couldn't do it. What else could she do to help herself sleep? Her parents made chamomile tea, or sometimes her dad warmed up milk in the microwave. Those were good ideas in theory, but she couldn't risk them finding her out of bed this late and getting in trouble again. There had to be something here. Her eyes scanned her room until she saw it.

She tossed the covers aside and picked up the camera box, a gift Grandma Annette had chosen for her. While not a high-end model, it was superior to a basic point-and-shoot. She would prefer to be self taught, testing the buttons and finding out for herself what each setting did, but reading through the technical jargon in the booklet might make her sleepy. Leah opened the box slowly, careful not to awake her parents. Setting the camera aside, she plucked out the manual.

She returned under the covers and settled back against her pillow. Turning to the first page, she discovered the safety instructions. Normally she would bypass this section, as the 'Do nots' were common sense, but she needed the monotony to lull her to sleep. Next was a diagram of the camera's components, and she paid extra attention to each one, memorizing the shapes, locations, and functions. It wasn't nearly as interesting as the diary, but that was the point. Her eyes grew heavier, but she continued to read. When she was halfway through the manual, her eyes could no longer remain open. Her fingers released the booklet onto the floor as sleep finally consumed her.


	42. Chapter 42

"Rise and shine, Monkey!" Amy sang out, as she opened Leah's blinds.

The little girl blinked against the harsh light. "Need more sleep," she mumbled.

"Rough night?"

Leah nodded. "It took me a long time to fall asleep."

Amy sat on the edge of her daughter's bed and swept her bangs back. "Was it because of the diary?"

"Yes."

"Monkey, I don't want you to lose sleep over it. It happened, and now we wait for its return."

Leah lowered her lashes and whispered, "What if you never get it back?"

"Don't worry about the 'what ifs'. We need to focus on the present. New Year's Eve is only two days away. The Wolowitz's are hosting a costume party, so I thought we could find something fun for you to wear."

Leah furiously blinked back tears. "I shouldn't be doing anything fun. What about my punishment?"

Amy scooted closer. "Monkey, please don't beat yourself up over this. What you did was wrong, but it's not the end of the world."

"But I knew it was wrong and still did it. I need to be punished. Just don't lock me in a closet." The tears that threatened to fall trickled down her face.

Amy wrapped her arms around the little girl. "Leah, I promise that will never happen. Daddy and I still need to talk about it, but I assure you there will be no closets involved."

Leah snuggled closer. "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too." Amy sniffed the air. "Pancakes must be almost done."

"You go ahead; I'll be there soon."

"Okay." Amy kissed the top of her head then stood and yelped. "What's this?" She bent and picked up the camera instruction booklet she had stepped on.

"I tried reading the manual to help me sleep. I hope you're not mad I opened the box."

"Of course not. I know you were very careful with the camera. I bet you're an expert now. Maybe after breakfast we can go somewhere and test it out then send Grandma Annette your favorite snapshots."

"Really?"

"Yes. Let's enjoy these last few days before we go back to work and school. We can do some outdoor photoshoots, or maybe you'd like to take it to the party shop? I'll let you take pictures of me in some silly hats and wigs."

Sheldon rapped on the doorframe three times and peeked in. "Pancakes are ready."

Amy followed her husband to the kitchen and peered at the table. "Smiley face pancakes! So cute!"

"Leah's been so distraught, so I wanted to do a little something to cheer her up, just like my mom did for me when I was Leah's age."

"That's so sweet." She stretched up and kissed him soundly.

"What's so sweet?" Leah asked.

"Check out what Daddy did."

He twisted his torso toward the counter behind him and placed a small bowl on the table with a flourish. "I also have chocolate curls in case you want to add hair."

Leah stared at her plate and blinked rapidly.

"What's wrong, Monkey?"

"I don't deserve this," she sniffled.

Sheldon furrowed his brow. "You don't deserve fun pancakes?"

"You're both being too nice to me."

Amy gestured for them to all take a seat. Leah slumped in her chair, eyes cast down.

"Please look at us," Amy urged. When the little girl raised her eyes, she spoke gently but firmly. "Leah, you are our daughter, and we love you very much. It's normal to feel bad, but we are not going to stop trying to be a happy family. You did one bad thing. That doesn't make you a horrible person. I'm honestly more upset that you're punishing yourself than I am about the diary."

"Why?"

"I don't want you to think you're unworthy of us or to lose anymore sleep."

"But..."

"Sleep deprivation is detrimental not only to your well-being but to every aspect of your body's health. It affects your appetite, immune system, cognition..."

Sheldon chimed in. "You don't want to be dim-witted like the other kids in your class."

"Sheldon!"

"Well, it's true. Leah is much more intelligent than her peers. I would hate for her to lose her mental capacity over lack of sleep."

"I wouldn't call them dim-witted; they have average intelligence."

"Same difference," Sheldon mumbled.

"I'll try to do better at sleeping tonight," Leah promised.

Sheldon touseled her hair. "That's my girl. Now let's eat before the food gets cold."

Leah cut off a tiny piece of pancake with the side of her fork. She brought it to her mouth and slowly chewed. Her appetite was already waning, and she hoped it was just from temporary anxiety. She took a sip of milk to wash it down then tried another tiny bite. Her parents were watching her every move. She didn't have to look up because she could feel their eyes on her.

"We can put it in the microwave for a few seconds," Sheldon suggested, as he watched her struggle.

"It's fine. I'm just not very hungry." She noticed the worried glance her parents exchanged but said nothing. She was determined to finish, even if it took her all morning.

A few minutes later, Amy gathered the two empty plates. Leah was less than halfway done, but she didn't want to rush her. "Take all the time you need. Daddy and I will be in the living room if you need us."

"Okay."

When they were on the couch out of earshot, Amy lowered her voice. "I'm really worried about Leah. I almost don't want to punish her. She's doing a good enough job of punishing herself."

"But there need to be consequences."

"I know." She sighed and leaned heavily against him. "I think this is the hardest part of parenting. I keep telling myself it's for her own good, but that's easier said than done."

He pulled her in and nuzzled her hair. "It pains me too."

"I told her we could go costume shopping today. I hope that will distract her for awhile."

"But we already own so many costumes."

"This will be a fun family outing, even if you decide to wear something from our stash. Maybe we'll even find something new to wear for our next role playing session," she purred.

Sheldon licked his lips as his eyes darted toward the hall. "Amy!" He hissed.

"Alright, no role playing purchases."

"I didn't say that." He looked around again then pressed his lips to her ear and murmured. "I just don't want Leah to hear. Who knows what she's learned from those diaries."

"In a few days when she's calmed down a bit, I'll ask her to tell me what she knows." Amy instinctively reached for her double helix charm then dropped her hand when she realized it was still on her nightstand. "What's even worse is that some stranger could be reading my innermost thoughts right now, though I suppose it could be worse. The missing diary is mainly about my pregnancy." She chuckled softly.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking back to my weird cravings and how you were determined to free me of their control."

"I was trying to help you and Leah. All that salt and sugar isn't good for anyone. Who eats cream-filled doughnuts stuffed with buttered popcorn or nacho chips dipped in a can of chocolate frosting? It's both disgusting and disturbing. Everytime you ingested one of those concoctions, they made you loopy. It was like your brain went on vacation."

She elbowed him playfully then looked up as Leah joined them. "All done, Monkey?"

"Yeah. I'm going to get dressed."

"Okay."

Sheldon consulted his watch. "We should get ready too if we want to make sure the party store still has good costumes."

"I'm so glad you're on board. This will be a much-needed distraction for all of us."

xxx

Sigrid tossed and turned all night. She had decided to read the last entry in the diary right before bed, and while it didn't indicate any major pregnancy complications, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened. From what she gathered, the woman had developed gestational diabetes, but it seemed to be under control after the woman reluctantly agreed to lay off the doughnuts and chocolate frosting. Sheldon was still diligently recording her dietary intake and had also taken it upon himself to check her blood sugar three times daily.

Knowing it was useless to try getting any sleep, she checked her phone on the off chance Margaret had tried getting in touch with her. Still nothing. It was time to take matters into her own hands. She located the airline's phone number and paced around her tiny apartment while she waited on hold.

A familiar tune played over the line, and she hummed along to it. What _was_ this song? She tried forming the words to this classical rendition but came up blank. Great. Now on top of her worry over the mysterious woman, she also had an earworm. One song turned into another and then another until finally her call was answered.

"Good Morning and thank you for calling Delta. My name is Sarah. How many I assist you today?"

"Hi, Sarah. Could you tell me if Margaret Wheeler is available?"

Sigrid waited as she listened to the distinct sound of typing from Sarah's end. "I'm sorry, Ms. Wheeler is off today but returns tomorrow. Would you like to me leave a message?"

"Oh. Um, I can try back tomorrow."

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Sigrid paused. Would it be wise to admit to this woman that she had another passenger's item in her possession? She could be in a lot of trouble, but what if the woman had filed a missing item report, and she could be reunited with her diary sooner?

"Miss? Are you still there?"

"Yes, sorry. I..." she paused again. "I think I'll just try back tomorrow. Is there a good time to reach Margaret?"

Sigrid heard more clicking. "Her first flight leaves at noon eastern time, so I would try about 11 a.m."

"Thank you, Sarah. Have a great day."

Sigrid ended the call and sighed. That hadn't gone as planned, but it was only a one-day set back. She still had two hours to kill before work, so she was going to spend this time leisurely. First off was breakfast.

She dumped a packet of oatmeal in one of her mismatched thrift shop bowls and popped it in the microwave. While she waited, she scooped some coffee into her single-serve brewer then sat on the edge of her bed and picked up the diary. She flipped to the page where the couple went to the OB/GYN.

 _February 8, 2019_

 _Waiting for the ultrasound tech is always interesting. I tried not to stare at the other women sitting there in varying states of pregnancy but couldn't help myself. I attempted to guess their due dates based on the size of their baby bumps, but I'm a neurobiologist, not an obstetrician. I could see Sheldon trying to assess them too because he was much more obvious about it. I squeezed his hand, and he turned to me so quickly that I thought he twisted his neck. He asked if I felt okay, and I reassured him that I did. Looking at the other women again, I began to wonder if maybe Sheldon was right. Was our monkey developing at a normal rate? Before I had another moment to wonder, we were called to the exam room._

 _After I put on the gown, Sheldon helped me climb onto the exam table then pulled up a chair and held my hand. I reassured him again that I felt perfectly fine, but he appeared unconvinced._

 _We didn't wait long for the tech. Jocelyn was efficient and not very talkative, her eyes never leaving the screen. Sheldon attempted to ask about her about the fetal growth, but she waved off his comments and politely asked him to save his questions until she was done. Her nonverbal cues annoyed and scared him. I admit they left me a little unnerved too. Every time she moved the wand, she would squint hard at the screen and take screenshots of the images. Sheldon tried asking her questions again, so I distracted him with questions of my own about the Star Wars universe. Unfortunately, the distraction was short lived. The tech mumbled something to herself and made a note in my chart._

 _"What's wrong?" Sheldon panicked._

 _She finally looked at him and assured him nothing was wrong; she was just recording the baby's sex. We simultaneously shouted that we don't want to know._

The microwave beeped, and Sigrid reluctantly set the diary on her nightstand. She scarfed down her breakfast and took a sip of scalding hot coffee. As she waited for it to cool, she continued where she left off.

 _Jocelyn made another note in the chart to alert our future techs that we don't want to know the sex so they won't inadvertently tell us. Then she finally tore her gaze from the screen, set the wand in the holder, and told us we have nothing to worry about. Baby Cooper is developing just fine. Sheldon was still unconvinced, so she rolled the ultrasound wand over me again and pointed out the head and limbs. His grip tightened as we watched the images on the screen. The head is clearly defined but looks somewhat alien-like. Sheldon was both appalled and intrigued. Jocelyn alleviated our fears, assuring us that many unborn babies look this way and that they all come out perfectly normal._

 _On the way home, Sheldon brought up our Mars application for the first time in four years. To be honest, it was so long ago that I almost forgot about it. He pointed out that if our child retains its alien head, maybe we can be bumped up on the list for the mission. He's so silly._

 _Only five more months until we get to meet this tiny being growing within me. I can't wait!_

Sigrid set the diary in her lap. Baby Cooper. Finally a clue. Now she had a last name to go along with the husband's first name. There must be a Cooper listed on one of the passenger lists, assuming the woman took his last name. She hoped that was the case, or even better that Sheldon Cooper was also on the list. If only Margaret was working today. Sigrid took another sip of coffee then downed the perfectly-heated beverage. She still had time before she had to get ready for the day. Maybe she could do a little online research.


	43. Chapter 43

Sigrid's morning search had been interrupted by a knock on her door from her landlord, notifying her that the building's water would be shut off from 10-2. Then Hunter had called to confirm their dinner and movie plans for the evening. He was picking her up from work, so it would be a long day. After the call ended, she looked at the clock and groaned. Now there was barely enough time to get ready for work.

She planned on some sleuthing during her breaks, but her loud, annoying co-worker, who she hadn't seen since she returned from LA, jabbered on about the ski trip she and her family had taken over the holidays. The woman didn't seem phased that Sigrid only responded with head nods and grunts of agreement.

When she finally returned home, Sigrid wasted no time getting under the covers. She fluffed her pillow, wedging it behind her back, and leaned against the headboard. Her nimble fingers tapped at her laptop's keyboard in the Google search bar. Hundreds of results for Sheldon Cooper populated the screen. She had expected a few, but this was overwhelming. She quickly skimmed through the list.

Dr. Sheldon Cooper was one very busy man. The majority of entries on the first three pages were links to journal articles for American Journal of Physics and Journal of Applied Physics, of which he was the primary, and sometimes sole, author. Physics, ugh. She recalled sitting through Mr. Werner's class in high school bored out of her mind. She wasn't interested in reading the articles, no matter how brilliant the man appeared to be. Besides, she didn't think they could offer much, if any, information on his whereabouts.

Sigrid clicked on page 4 hoping to find something more helpful. Halfway down the page, something caught her eye - "Concerned Resident Lobbies for Higher Levels of Learning in the Pasadena School District."

Pasadena as in Texas? Wasn't there a mention of Texas in the diary? She set the laptop aside and picked up the book, flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for.

 _November 25, 2018_

 _After the Thanksgiving festivities at Howard and Bernadette's yesterday, Sheldon and I planned a quiet long weekend at home. Mother asked us over for a belated holiday lunch with her today, but as we just had her over here, I wasn't in the mood to see her again so soon. Luckily, or unluckily, I'm still battling morning sickness, so I told her I wasn't feeling well. Bernadette sent some turkey and sides home with us, so we ended up eating another Thanksgiving meal anyway._

 _We had just finished washing the dishes when a knock sounded on the door. Sheldon and I looked at each other. Leonard and Penny left for Nebraska in the morning, so who else could it be? Sheldon put his finger to his lips then without a sound padded over to the door and peeked through the peep hole. He gasped and quickly slid the chain lock open then the dead bolt to reveal Mary! She informed us she had been so excited since she heard the news that she had to come see us. Had she not already invited the minister over for Thanksgiving dinner, she'd have taken the first plane out the day we told her._

 _Sheldon was concerned about the inflated holiday flight prices, but she waved off his concerns. Since this isn't our year to spend Christmas in Texas, she was happy to pay a little extra to see us around a holiday. I could see right through her excuse, but her reasoning mollified Sheldon._

 _Several times I caught her looking at my belly. I won't be showing for awhile, and though there's not even a bump yet, I gave her permission to touch, if she wanted. I mentally braced myself, as I've never had anyone other than Sheldon touch that area of my body, but the warmth of her hand through my shirt was comforting. She's already proven to be a wonderful mother-in-law, and I know she'll make a wonderful meemaw too._

 _We showed her Leonard's old room and explained our plans for the nursery, as we had with my mom. She reached into her purse and pulled out a worn copy of The Little Engine That Could, Sheldon's favorite childhood book. Tears pricked my eyes as I imagined reading the very same book to our baby in just a few months. I had the urge to go out and buy a bookcase until Sheldon reminded me the stores would be crazy with Black Friday sales madness._

 _As we sat on the couch with tea later in the afternoon, Mary surprised us once more with a tiny green onesie, the one Sheldon came home in back in 1980. It's so precious! Sheldon rolled his eyes as Mary told some fun stories about the twins' first few days of life, but he later confided in me that they actually provided a valuable lesson in what not to do with newborns._

Sigrid skimmed through the remaining entries but found no other reference to Texas, not even a city name. From what she gathered, Sheldon's mother lived in Texas, but he apparently didn't live there anymore, if he ever did. She set the diary back on her nightstand and focused on her laptop again. Maybe the article would give another clue.

"A heated debate broke out at Thursday's Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) meeting. Following the discussion of the curriculum for the 2026-2027 school year, Sheldon L. Cooper, PhD, pleaded his case for a gifted program, which was vetoed by the board..."

She read through the entire article. No mentions of the wife's name, but the school district would narrow her search even further. She excitedly typed 'Pasadena Unified School District' into the search bar and opened the first link. There right near the top of the page was a seal for the Pasadena, California, school district. So she had been wrong about the state. This made more sense, considering she had found the diary on an LA to Boston flight. Though the article was over a year old, there was a very good chance they still lived in the area.

Another thought occurred to her. If Sheldon was so concerned about the school curriculum, either "Monkey" was alive and well or the couple had another child. She prayed the former was true. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose a child, not only for the parents not for all their friends and family. She had never even met these people, but she felt like she knew them. Pushing the morbid thought aside, she concentrated on the new piece of information.

The next logical step was to find a phone number for Sheldon Cooper in Pasadena, California, but that was easier said than done. The Whitepages website listed one person with that name, but the only information associated with the record was an age approximation that just read "40s". Not very helpful. She tried a few other sites with similar results. Some claimed to offer more information for a fee, but she didn't trust them and didn't have the funds, even if it was an avenue she wanted to persue.

Sigrid returned to her original search. There had to be some sort of contact information out there, maybe something pertaining to his job. She clicked to page 5, only to find more journal articles. There had to be more than this, something she was missing. She started back at page one and read each line carefully. Journal article, journal article, journal article... Wait, hidden between these was a link she had overlooked the first time because the word 'physics' was in the title. The article, dated October 2022, five years earlier, was titled "When Physics and Neurobiology Collide".

Fingers shaking, she clicked it and gasped at her discovery. Sheldon's place of employment wasn't the only thing displayed. Staring back at her was a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen, and next to him was a woman with long dark hair and glasses. Beneath the picture the names Sheldon Cooper, PhD, and Amy Fowler-Cooper, PhD, identified them. Amy, her name was Amy.

Sigrid was breathing hard. She had found her. It had to be her. When she calmed down, she read the short paragraph. The author confirmed they were a married couple. Both worked at Caltech and had been awarded the MacArthur grant for a collaborative project. She stared at the picture for several minutes. Both wore deliriously happy grins, and she noted his hand curved around her waist. They made a cute couple.

After bookmarking the page and taking a screenshot, she searched the Caltech site for additional information. She stumbled upon the staff directory and searched the alphabetical listing, hoping the couple was still employed there. Sure enough, Amy and Sheldon were both listed under the Cs and as a bonus, their email addresses were displayed next to tiny yearbook-type photos.

Did she dare try emailing them? She grabbed her phone and typed Amy's address in the To field then paused. What would she say? How do you tell a stranger you have one of their most personal possessions? Would she be grateful or go off on a rant? Should she wait until she talked Margaret tomorrow? The questions nagged her as her fingers hovered over the keypad.

xxx

Amy lay awake staring at the ceiling. The party shop outing had been fun, but the whole day was clouded by the underlying tension of the missing diary. Each time Leah was in the change room trying on a different costume, Amy checked her phone in the hopes that someone had contacted her about her diary then would quickly shove it back in her purse before the girl emerged.

Leah had tried on multiple costumes and cracked a smile at the silly ones, but her usual spark was gone. Even Sheldon's antics as he paraded around the store wearing a squid hat barely got a chuckle. When he urged her to snap some pictures, the little girl obediently focused her new camera on the subject. To the casual onlooker, she may have appeared to just be concentrating, as she zoomed in and out and changed position to gain the perfect angle, but Amy could see the telltale signs of stress on her face and in her posture.

On the drive home, the little girl brought up her punishment again. They really needed to come up with a plan and fast.

"Can't sleep?" Sheldon murmured.

She turned her head to him. "No, but don't let my mood interrupt your sleep."

"I'm worried about you and Leah."

"We'll be fine."

"Is there anything I can do to alleviate your stress?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.

She pushed herself up on her elbow and peered down at his silhouette. "I don't think so, but thanks for asking." She paused then added, "I believe fear of the unknown is what's bothering Leah the most. Tomorrow we need to figure out how we can discipline her in a respectable but firm way."

He positioned himself so they were eye to eye. "Let's devise a punishment now and present it to her in the morning."

"But it's late..."

"We don't have work tomorrow, and perhaps if we find a solution, you'll get some rest tonight."

"Any ideas?" In the darkened room and without her glasses, she couldn't make out his facial expression but could picture in her mind's eye the way he scrunched his brow and set his mouth in a straight line - his thinking face.

"How about no after-school activities with the Hofstadter kids for two weeks?"

"That will mean I'll need to leave work early on Penny's pickup week, but I'm willing to do it if she's okay with picking up Cadence and Dylan on her week off."

"Or we can see if Raj is willing to do it."

"I'd rather not involve anyone else; I'm sure he's busy with his own work. I'll check with Penny in the morning. If it doesn't work for her, we can consider asking Raj."

"I also think we should get a lock for the library door, and Leah can only go in with one or both of us."

"That sounds reasonable."

"Is there anything else you can think of?"

"I think that's enough. The poor thing is so distraught already." Amy settled back against her pillow. "Thank you. I feel a little better."

"Good." His lips sought hers for a gentle kiss before lowering himself back to a prone position.

Amy reached for the phone on her nightstand. She had resisted checking it since the party store but made sure the ringer was turned up so she wouldn't miss an incoming call or text. No sounds had emitted from the device all day, so it would be silly to check it now. She pulled her hand back and rested her head on Sheldon's chest. Soon she felt the weight of his arm draped over her. His steady heartbeat below her ear calmed her further, and she didn't resist when her eyelids fluttered closed.


	44. Chapter 44

Amy poured her bestie another cup of tea. The women hadn't seen each other since before Christmas and were catching up like old friends.

"How's your family?"

"Really good! It was great having everyone over. I think the kids wore Mom and Dad out. Dad's too proud to admit he's getting up in age, but he did finally sell the pigs."

"It's a start. How's Randall?"

"Great! Eleven years since he was let out on parole and still completely drug-free. I'm so proud of him."

"Wow, eleven years. How time flies. Did he bring Becky?"

Penny rolled her eyes. "Yup."

"She can't be that bad."

"She's good for Randall and has a great sense of humor, but the kids are scared of her. Dylan had nightmares about her devil fingernails. His words not mine, but I agree. Those things are hideous. How anyone can function with 2-inch press-ons is beyond me." She shuddered. "Cadence asked when Uncle Randall will dump Elvira for a 'normal' girlfriend."

Amy snickered. "Kids say the funniest things."

"Definitely. If I wrote a book with all their quotes, it could be a #1 bestseller." Penny blew on her tea and tentatively took a sip. "Wow, that's hot! What about you? How was Boston?"

Amy slid her double helix charm. She had hoped they could just enjoy a nice chat before she got into the main reason for the invitation. "Boston was... good."

"Uh oh. Spill."

"It started out fine. It was nice to see everyone again. Carrie and I really bonded on our last day. We were all outside making snowmen and snow angels."

"Even Sheldon?"

Amy nodded. "It took some coaxing, but he eventually came out and even enjoyed himself."

"I'm happy for you, Ames. Surely the rest of your visit went okay?"

"Annette is still uncomfortable at any mentions of my mom. The boys asked Leah why she has three grandmas, and the dinner conversation stopped."

"Oh, Sweetie. I'm sorry."

Amy shrugged. "That's not the worst of it." The blonde looked at her expectantly as she took a sip of her beverage. She set the mug down slowly before plunging in. "Leah has gotten very curious about my parents' relationship, among other things. Not only did she try getting information from my dad, she's also been snooping through my diaries."

Penny gasped. "Did she read anything about your... umm..."

"My conception? No, but she probably would have if she hadn't lost the diary about _her_ conception."

Penny's eyes bugged out. "What?!"

"It's true. Luckily I didn't write all the details. We found out she's been reading my diaries for two months. Had she not forgotten one on the plane and confessed, who knows how long this would have gone on."

Penny's eyes widened again. "That must be where she got the robot comment! Leonard and I argued over who called Sheldon a robot in front of the kids after we got home from the barbeque that night. He was adamant he hasn't referred to Sheldon like that in years, and I know I haven't said a word about it either."

"You're right! I had forgotten about that. She's been asking all sorts of odd questions, and it all started about two months ago. It was the diaries all along!" She rested her hand on Penny's. "I'm sorry that all this caused your argument with Leonard."

Penny waved her off. "It's fine. After a few minutes, we both realized neither of us lied about not saying anything. We figured it must have been Howard or Raj."

"Sheldon and I need to find out what else she knows and have her apologize to everyone."

Penny took another sip of tea. "Are you going to punish Leah?"

"We have to, though she's been punishing herself to the point where I don't really want to."

"Punishing herself how?"

"She hardly sleeps or eats anymore, poor thing. It took her 20 minutes to finish her cereal this morning. Those flakes were so soggy that I had to distract Sheldon so he wouldn't gag at the sight. She admitted knowing it was wrong to read my personal thoughts and is devastated that my diary it's gone."

"Wait, I thought it was missing temporarily. It's gone-gone?"

Amy nodded sadly. "I called the airline and filled out a missing item form on their website but haven't heard anything." She stood suddenly, nearly knocking over her almost-full mug. "I haven't checked my phone this morning. I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder.

Amy grabbed the phone off her nightstand and stared at the screen. Still no incoming calls, but there was a new work email notification. She briefly considered opening it then decided it could wait. It was probably just her co-worker Jun's annual pre New Year's greeting. She returned to the kitchen, phone in hand.

"Any news?"

"Not yet." She took her seat and peered at her friend over the rim of her mug. "Penny, I need a favor, but please feel free to decline if it doesn't work."

"What is it?"

"Sheldon and I were talking last night and came up with a possible punishment. Part 1 is getting a lock for the library so Leah can't sneak around with my diaries anymore."

"Smart. What's part 2?"

"Part 2 is where you come in." She slid the double helix charm again.

"Ames, just spit it out."

Amy dropped the charm and regarded her bestie. The worst she could do was say "no", right? "Penny, we thought it would be fair if Leah doesn't participate in any after-school activities for two weeks. That would mean no hanging out with Cadence and Dylan outside of school. I would pick Leah up on your week in addition to mine, but it would also mean you or Leonard would need to pick up your little ones." When Penny hesitated, Amy added, "or we could see if Raj can help."

"I honestly can't even remember who's week it will be to pick them up when they restart school," Penny admitted. "It's fine with me."

"Are you sure? Because I completely understand if you're hesitant. Like I said, we can ask Raj or even come up with a third option. I don't want to impose."

"You're not imposing. I'm happy to do it."

"You're not just saying that?"

"Ames, I would tell you if it didn't work. Trust me."

Amy stood and opened her arms. "Thank you, bestie!" She squealed, as she squeezed her friend. "I owe you."

They resumed drinking and chatting until Sheldon and Leah returned home from taking pictures at the park. After a round of hellos, Penny got up.

"I better get going. See you at the party tomorrow."

"Bye, and thanks again."

"Thanks for what?" Leah asked after Penny had left.

"Leah, sweetie, Daddy and I need to talk with you." Amy motioned to her chair, and the girl obliged.

When all three were seated around the table, Amy reached across and held her daughter's hand.

"What's wrong, Mommy?"

"Nothing, Monkey." She raised her free hand to her neck then quickly dropped it. "Sheldon, do you want to start?"

"Alright." He turned his chair slightly to get a better view of his daughter, who was picking at imaginary lint on her pants. "Leah, up here." Leah raised her eyes, and he continued. "Mommy and I devised a plan for your punishment."

Leah bit her lip. "What is it?"

"We will buy a lock for the library door, and you are not to enter without one or both of us."

"And for the next two weeks, you will not interact with the Hofstadters after school. I will pick you up on Penny's week, and she will pick up Cadence and Dylan on my week."

Leah regarded her parents warily. "What else?"

"That's it," Amy clarified.

"That's it?! That's not much of a punishment."

The parents exchanged a look. "Monkey, we didn't want to go too hard on you. We know you feel awful about what happened and trust that it won't happen again. Locking the library is just an extra precaution in case you have the urge."

"But you're missing your diary. What happens if you never get it back?"

Amy closed her eyes. "I'm hopeful I'll see it again."

xxx

Sigrid paced from the door to her bed. After the excitement from locating the Coopers, she fell into a fitful sleep. When she cracked her eyes open and peered at the alarm clock, it read 7:03. She turned over and snuggled under the covers but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get back to sleep.

After lying in bed for two hours she finally stood and stretched. She made herself some coffee and popped a single-serve frozen breakfast sandwich in the microwave. Since then she had showered and made a second cup of coffee. Feeling slightly jittery from the caffeine, she began to pace nervously. It was too early to contact Margaret, so she needed a distraction. Perhaps a little reading.

She sat cross-legged on her unmade bed in her bathrobe and plucked the diary off her nightstand.

 _April 9, 2019_

 _Sheldon and I sat down again to discuss names. He still insists we need to honor the pact he made with Rajesh. I think it's silly. Emily has been out of the picture for three years. I doubt Raj even cares anymore._

 _We finally compromised. If we have a boy, we'll name him Rajesh, but if it's a girl, we'll name her Leah, after famed neurobiologist Leah Krubitzer. I also convinced him that if we have more than one boy, only the first will bear our friend's name. He agreed when I pointed out the confusion of two children with the same name. Would we call our firstborn Rajesh #1 and secondborn Rajesh #2? It would be confusing enough for our son and friend to have the same name._

 _Before I didn't have a preference, but now I really hope it's a girl._

Sigrid pondered the entry. She was curious about the pact but doubted she'd find more information about it in the diary. Did it also involve Rajesh's children being named Sheldon? She would probably never know.

A quick glance at the clock confirmed what she already knew; it wasn't 11 o'clock yet. Time seemed to be moving at a snail's pace. She needed to speak with Margaret, but the wait would need to continue.

Though she wasn't due at work until the afternoon, she decided to get ready. She took her time applying mascara and tinted lip gloss and studied her reflection. Next she tied her long blonde hair in a ponytail and again regarded herself in the mirror. Not bad. She grabbed her uniform, a pale blue button down shirt and black pants, from the hanger on the bathroom door. The Sigrid in the glass stared back at her. All she was missing was the apron hanging in the tiny office at the café.

When she returned to the main room, the red digits from the clock seemed to mock her. Still a little time to go, so she picked up the diary again.

 _April 10, 2019_

 _The excessive hunger and thirst I've felt over the past three days haven't subsided, so we moved up my six-month evaluation to today. Usually I can't wait to see Baby Cooper on the screen and listen to our monkey's heartbeat, but today I went in with a feeling of dread. The appointment started as they usually do, and the tech informed us the baby is developing at a normal rate, but I couldn't help feeling something wasn't quite right._

 _After the ultrasound I had blood drawn. The wait was almost intolerable. If I didn't know better, I'd think the hands on the clock were moving backward. Sheldon gripped my fingers so tightly that I thought my bones would break._

 _"What is taking so long?" He kept repeating, which only added to my anxiety._

 _I put on a brave face and engaged him in a game of counterfactuals that neither one of us was able to enjoy. The tension was palpable._

 _"Dr. and Dr. Cooper?" A nurse called._

 _I could feel my blood pressure rise as we followed her into a consultation room. Something was definitely wrong, and I soon discovered my fears were well founded. She informed us I have gestational diabetes. Sheldon stood abruptly, knocking over his chair in the process. He told her the lab needed to recheck those results. He carefully watches my food intake, so there was little chance of me developing that diagnosis. She explained that while a healthy diet reduced the risk, it was not uncommon for the condition to accompany a pregnancy. He wouldn't let it go, insisting that there must have been a mix-up with another patient's results._

 _When she left to consult with the lab, I had a difficult conversation ahead of me. The tears fell hard as I explained that recently I have secretly been overindulging in doughnuts and other sugary treats at work. The look on Sheldon's face was priceless. I literally had to push his jaw closed. When the shock wore off, he admonished my actions. I apologized over and over again._

 _I feel completely responsible and prayed to a diety I don't believe in that I haven't jeopardized our baby's life._

Sigrid set the diary aside and closed her eyes. That was intense. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Amy must have been feeling at the time. Once again she wondered what happened to Baby Cooper then relaxed when she remembered the article detailing the request for a gifted program in the Pasadena school district.

A peek at the clock informed her it was nearly 11 a.m. She already had the airline's number programmed into her phone, so it would just be a quick tap at the screen. She poised her finger over the icon and finally clicked it.

"Good Morning and thank you for calling Delta Airlines. My name is Devon. How many I assist you today?"

"Hi Devon. I need to speak with Margaret Wheeler. Is she available?"

"Let me check. Can you hold?"

"Yes." Sigrid listened to the instrumental music while she waited. Occasionally, a recorded message thanking her for her patience interrupted the violins, and she got up to nervously pace around. An eternity later, a familiar voice greeted her.

"This is Margaret."

"Margaret! I'm so glad I caught you. This is Sigrid Thorson. Not sure if you remember me."

"Yes, of course. I'm still working on finding the owner."

"I think I already found her."

Sigrid could tell she had piqued the other woman's curiosity by the way her tone went higher. "Was the woman's name in the diary?"

"Not exactly." Sigrid explained how the clues she had found led her to the answer. "I emailed her but haven't heard back. I was hoping you could help me with a phone number and also verify she was on one of your flights."

"I'll look for those names on the seating charts after my shift tonight."

"Oh thank you! I won't keep you from your work anymore."


	45. Chapter 45

Sigrid checked herself in the mirror for the third time. This was just dinner with Hunter, so she wasn't nervous about that. It was the fact that she now possessed Dr. Fowler-Cooper's phone number that was causing the butterflies in her stomach.

For the last three hours, since the moment she received the information from Margaret, she had debated whether or not to call the neurobiologist today or wait until after the holiday. One part of her felt calling as soon as possible was the right thing to do. She had made several failed attempts to dial but chickened out each time because the other part worried that the Coopers might have New Year's Eve plans and that calling today could affect that.

She stared at her flushed reflection, hands on the countertop, and took slow, deep breaths. The poor woman would probably be so grateful, so why was she nervous? It's not like she stole the diary. Her intentions had been nothing but honorable. Okay, she had read most of the entries, but without doing so, she, Margaret, or the airline might not have located her.

She turned her back on the mirror and marched over to her nightstand where her phone awaited. With shaky fingers, she tapped at the numbers that would connect her to the diary's owner. Her finger hovered over the last digit then hit the back button. She dropped her phone on the bed like it was a hot potato then paced around the tiny living quarters.

On her sixth trip to the bed, she picked up the phone again and stared at the blank screen. She tossed it back on the bed sms sighed. Perhaps if she read another entry, it would put her in the right frame of mind.

 _April 17, 2019_

 _Today marks one week since my diagnosis. Sheldon put me on a strict diabetic diet and is watching me like a hawk to ensure I stick to it. He's even been stopping by the lab much more frequently. I love that he's so concerned about me and our baby, but I've barely been able to get any work done with him hanging around so much._

A distinct double knock followed by a triple knock alerted her to her boyfriend's arrival. They had devised the pattern so she knew it was okay to open the door. Her neighborhood was relatively safe, but one could never be too careful.

"Wow! You look stunning!" He greeted her.

Sigrid looked down at her ensemble. The lavender blouse and black knee-length skirt were somewhat dressier than her everyday clothes, and she had taken more care with her usually straight hair, curling it into soft waves. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

He grinned. "Shall we?"

"Let me just grab my stuff." She plucked a small black clutch from her dresser, tossed in her debit card and phone, then grabbed her key and slipped into her coat before rejoining him at the door.

Sigrid spent much of the drive to the steakhouse staring out the window. Her fingers itched to dial Dr. Cooper-Fowler, but it would be rude to call now with Hunter present. She tried to set thoughts of the diary aside, but it was weighing heavily on her mind.

They circled the block twice before finding a parking spot. When Hunter cut the engine, he turned to her, concern etched on his face. When she made no move to exit the car, he waved his hand in front of her eyes.

"Earth to Sigrid." She blinked at the sound of her name. "You seem preoccupied tonight. Is everything okay at work?"

"Work is fine. I have other things on my mind."

"Problems with your landlord?"

"No, everything is fine. Sorry, I'll try to be more in the moment."

"Something's bothering you enough to distract you. You usually can't wait to tell me all about your crazy co-worker or your neighbor who walks her chiuaua in a stroller."

"Mrs. Korlowski."

"That's it. I knew it started with a K." He scrutinized her faraway expression. "Did I do something to upset you?"

She shook her head and reached for his hand. "No, you've been wonderful. It's not related to our relationship or even to me really. It's... It's complicated."

"Sigrid, I'm a studying to be a doctor. Remembering all the medical terms and learning to diagnose rare diseases, now that's complicated. I'm sure whatever it is, I will understand."

She played with the hem of her coat sleeve. "Remember the diary I found on the plane?" Hunter nodded and she continued. "I tracked down the owner."

"That's great!"

"It is but... Well, I tried calling her, but I always give up before I finish dialing."

"Why?"

"I'm scared," she admitted. "What if she yells at me for taking it?"

"It's a possibility, but my guess is she will be so grateful to know it's safe."

"I want to believe that."

"You'll need to contact her eventually. If she's a worrier, you could save her a lot of stress and anxiety by calling sooner rather than later."

Sigrid bit her lip. "You're right, but it will have to wait until after dinner. We don't want to lose our reservation."

xxx

Amy held out her glass as Bernadette poured the bottle of wine. After the morning she had, she was ready for a little indulgence.

The Coopers had been the last to arrive at the Wolowitz's New Year's Eve party, due to Leah's reluctance to get into her pirate costume. She had spent the morning moping in her room and the early part of the afternoon resisting her parents' pleas to get ready. Sheldon's OCD had kicked into high gear, as he repeatedly checked his watch until a sullen Leah finally joined them, her tricorne hat perched precariously on her head.

The short drive felt like a eternity to Amy as she and Sheldon tried getting their daughter excited about the party. However, Leah stared out the window, responding only when necessary. Even their guessing game about what everyone would be wearing and the ultimate prize of choosing the location of their next family outing for the most correct answers appeared to be a chore for the girl.

Amy was relieved when her daughter's mood did a 180 upon seeing her best friend. This would be the last time they would hang out outside of school for two weeks. Once again she felt bad about the upcoming punishment but knew that following through with it was the right thing to do.

The girls had hugged then chattered animatedly about their respective Christmases, and Nathaniel had chimed in about how his grandparents had talked his parents out of hosting Hanukkah so they could host Christmas at their house, as they had for the last 49 years, much to his dad's chagrin.

"Earth to Amy," Bernadette interrupted her thoughts.

"Sorry. You were saying?"

"Any news on your diary?"

"Not yet. I almost called the airline this morning then thought better of it. If they had it, they would call." Amy took a sip of her drink. "I'd like to forget about it for one night. Let's do something fun."

"Board games, movies? Your choice," Bernadette offered.

"Anything's fine with me as long as it's not Dungeons and Dragons." Penny shuddered. She peeked out the door dividing the kitchen from the living room where the guys were playing video games. "They're occupied now. The TV's in use, so movies are out unless we watch on a laptop," she informed them when she sat back in her seat.

Amy made a face. "Nah. If I'm going to watch a movie I want to be comfortable."

"There are games the three of us can play. They don't even have to be board games," Bernadette suggested.

Amy took a sip of her wine. "Such as?"

"Howie and I weren't there when you played Never Have I Ever. That sounds fun."

"That's brings back memories. Sheldon and I stayed up past his bedtime playing, just the two of us. Then we cuddled by the fire," Amy sighed happily.

Penny shook her head firmly. "No! Anything else but that. My memories of that night are not as fond as yours."

"We don't have to play a game. We could just drink wine and talk," Amy suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Penny agreed.

Bernadette topped off their glasses. "No complaints here."

Penny moved her pink magic wand away and pulled the fruit bowl closer. "Why did we need to dress up for this?"

"Howie was feeling nostalgic. We haven't all worn costumes in years."

"You and Howard make an adorable couple of jesters," Penny complimented.

"I'm Harley Quinn. Howard wanted to be the Joker, but they didn't have a purple suit coat in his size. He sulked all the way home until I reminded him of his old Renaissance faire costume and convinced him we'd call ourselves jesters. Oops. I swore I wouldn't say anything."

The other women exchanged a glance.

Bernadette took the focus off herself. "Amy why didn't you dress as Lois Lane to go with Sheldon's Superman?"

"It wouldn't have been much of a costume, but now I'm starting to regret not wearing something more comfortable," the brunette grimaced, as she tugged on her ice queen cape. "Leah seemed to like this one best. She actually smiled a little when I tried it on, so tada!"

"I love the contrast between the white fabric and your dark hair," Penny murmured before taking a sip of wine.

"Thanks, Bestie. Speaking of dark hair, any news on Raj and the art teacher?"

Bernadette downed the remains of the liquid in her glass. "He's been very secretive about it. I do know they went out for coffee before she drove him home the night of the pageant, and Howie said he disappeared over the lunch hour the following days until school was out for the break. He suspected Raj went to see her at the school."

"Cadence saw him go into her classroom during lunch."

"So Howie was right," Bernadette murmured. I wonder if they've kept in touch since then."

"I'm surprised he didn't bring her here tonight," Penny mused.

"Perhaps he scared her off like he has with every other woman he's ever shown an interest in," Amy surmised. "I hope not. Leah would be heartbroken if her matchmaking scheme didn't work. Plus Rajesh deserves love. He's such a romantic, and Ms. Jackson seems like a lovely person."

The women continued chatting until two hours before the ball was set to drop in Times Square. The adults had promised their kids they could stay up until midnight Eastern Standard Time, which only equated to 9 p.m. in California. They all agreed to gather in the living room 90 minutes before the big event to begin watching the festivities as a group, as Nathaniel was keen on watching Zane Zaxby's performance, which was scheduled at 7:30 Pacific time.

"I don't get today's music," Penny confessed. "Guess that means I'm officially part of the "old club" now."

Amy feigned being insulted. "Hey, I'm older than you."

"Your taste in music is even older than you."

"Yeah. I wish Neil Diamind was still performing," Amy said wistfully.

Bernadette chimed in. "I'm looking forward to Def Leppard. They're scheduled right after Zane. Penny, remember when we saw them perform at the Hollywood Bowl?"

Penny rolled her eyes. "Of course I remember. That was only two years ago."

Amy held in a laugh as her best friends bickered about the night in question. She had opted out of tagging along partly because the music wasn't her cup of tea but also to help Sheldon devise a plan to manage his unruly students.

Bernadette poked her head out the kitchen door and saw the guys were still hard at play with the video game. "This is your 15-minute warning!" She shouted.

"But Bernie, we'll need at least 20 minutes just to get past the warlock," Howard whined. "Can't you set up your laptop?"

The other guys nodded their agreement and added more details about their quest and their reasons why they wouldn't be ready on time.

"We all agreed to watch the broadcast together. Save your progress then you can continue after the kids go to bed."

"Yes, ma'am," Howard grumbled.

"And let them know it's almost time."

"Will do." He paused the game then called up the stairs. Minutes later the kids joined the guys in the living room and hovered around the TV where the screen still displayed the action-adventure game. Leonard reluctantly gave up his controller to Dylan who was more dexterous and pulled his dad from a quick sand pit, which elicited giggles from the other children, aimed towards their fathers' slower reflexes.

In the kitchen Bernadette tossed the empty wine bottle in the recycle bin. Amy helped herself to the new bottle on the counter that awaited them then rejoined her bestie at the table and chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just remembering the first time I had alcohol when we were at your old apartment. I got drunk off coffee liqueur on ice cream. Now I'm on my second glass of wine and don't even feel a buzz."

As if on cue, a different kind of buzz, in the form of a vibrating phone, alerted Amy of an incoming call.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Penny asked.

"It's probably my mom. We haven't been on the best terms since Thanksgiving." She glanced at the display then frowned.

Bernadette studied her face. "Amy, what's wrong?"

Amy held up her finger then used it to swipe the answer button. "Hello?... Hello?... Is anyone there?" She waited on the line a few seconds before hanging up.

"Wrong number?" Penny asked.

"Must have been. Strangely enough it happens to be from a Boston area code."

"Maybe your family tried calling but had a bad connection," Bernadette speculated.

Amy shook her head. "No. I know all their numbers by heart. Probably just a coincidence."

They sat around enjoying each other's company, the call quickly forgotten. At 7:20, the women stood to get ready to join the guys in the living room, Bernadette in the lead with Penny then Amy in tow. The brunette's phone dinged, and she stepped back into the kitchen to check the new text. It simply read, "Dr. Fowler-Cooper?"

Penny headed to the couch and looked over her shoulder when she didn't hear footsteps behind her. She swung open the kitchen door to find Amy sitting at the table staring at her phone.

"Ames, you okay?"

Amy looked up with fear in her eyes. "I... I don't know. That same Boston number texted me."

"Maybe Luke got a new number?"

"No. Look at this." She handed her the phone and slid her double helix charm nervously.

Penny stared at the message. "Yeah, it can't be Luke. Way too formal."

"Penny, what if... what if..." Amy swallowed then tried again. "What if something happened to my dad? Leah said he was a bit wheezy when they went sledding. What if it's a hospital calling?" She whispered.

Penny wrapped her arm around her friend. "I doubt they would text you. Wouldn't a doctor want to speak with you directly?"

"You're probably right, but this isn't just a misdialed number. This person knows who they're calling."

Penny laid the phone on the table in front of them. "Text them back to get some answers."

With trembling fingers Amy picked up the phone and wrote back, "Who is this?"

As the women waited for a reply, Bernadette swung the door open, causing them to jump in their seats.

"What's going on?" She demanded. "Zane Zaxby's up in four minutes."

Before they could respond, another text came through. "You don't know me, but I feel like I know you."

Amy dropped her phone on the table. "Oh, my God! It's a stalker!" She began to feel faint and gripped the arms of her chair to steady herself.

Bernadette frowned. "What...?"

Penny cut her off with a look. She grabbed the phone and tapped the keyboard hard. "Who are you and what do you want?"

She filled Bernadette in on the details, and the trio anxiously awaited a reply. A full minute later one popped up. "My name is Sigrid Thorson. I have your diary."


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: We're nearing the end of the journey. The Sin Closet Diaries has been my baby for 20 months, so it's hard for me to let it go, but it's time. Thank you all so much for your support. Your follows, favorites, reviews, as well as your likes and comments on my Lego vignettes on Instagram, are very much appreciated.** **Please enjoy the penultimate chapter below. I should be posting the epilogue in a couple of weeks.**

 _January 1, 2028_

 _It's a little strange writing in a diary after two months of reading diaries. I was going to wait until tonight to detail today's events, but so much happened last night that I want to write it down._

 _Nate was showing me, Cadence, and Dylan the robot kit Uncle Howard and Auntie Bernie gave him for his birthday/Hanukkah/Christmas. He had all the transmitters and circuit boards neatly laid out on his desk, and part of one hand is already put together. I was hoping it was from a kit Mommy and Daddy could pick up for me at the hobby shop, but Uncle Howard selected the pieces himself. Some he even invented._

 _I was examining the hand when we were called downstairs. Nate was torn between wanting to continue showing us the parts and getting ready for Zane Zaxby's performance. In the end, Zane won out, and he promised we could discuss the robot later, if we were still interested._

 _Our dads and Uncle Raj were playing that new quest game with warlocks, trolls, and dragons. Dylan had to rescue Uncle Leonard from quicksand pit. For the first time in days, I laughed, like really laughed. It wasn't forced. I might have forgotten about Mommy's missing diary for the rest of the night if it wasn't for what happened a few minutes later._

 _Auntie Bernie and Auntie Penny joined us in the living room, but Mommy didn't come out with them. Auntie Penny went back into the kitchen to get her. She was gone a few minutes, so Auntie Bernie went to check on them. A couple of minutes went by, and Daddy looked worried. Uncle Howard didn't seem concerned, but he complained that they had to pause their game, yet it was okay that the women disappeared._

 _Just as Ryan Secrest welcomed Zane to the stage, they came out. Mommy looked like she saw a ghost. When she took her seat next to Daddy, he looked at her with that raised eyebrow look he gives her when he doesn't know what's going on. She squeezed his hand and whispered, "I'll tell you later."_

 _Zane was amazing, at least that's what us kids thought. Auntie Bernie and Auntie Penny were more excited when Def Leppard came on. They head banged through Pour Some Sugar on Me. Mommy was never a fan of that song, so I wasn't surprised when she didn't join in. I was worried though. She still had that shell-shocked look and couldn't seem to concentrate on anything._

 _During the first commercial, Daddy asked her what was wrong. She played with her necklace, like she always does when she's nervous. Everyone was staring at her, and I felt really bad. It's never easy being the center of attention. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth, but only a strangled sound came out. I could see the panic in Daddy's eyes as I felt my own heart race. I worried something happened to Grandpa or one of my grandmas._

 _Auntie Penny quietly asked if it was okay if she told everyone. Mommy nodded mutely. That's when we found out about Mommy's diary's journey. It traveled back to Boston with a college student named Sigrid. We don't know much about her yet, but she assured Mommy the diary is safe and that she will get it to her somehow._

 _Mommy texted her during every commercial, but even when the entertainment was on, she hardly even paid attention to the TV. When the ball dropped, and the countdown got to one, Daddy had to snap his fingers to get her attention so they could share their first kiss of the year._

 _Sigrid is planning a Skype call today to work out the details to get the diary back home. Neither she nor Mommy want to ship it, for fear of it getting lost in the mail. There will be an in-person exchange; we just don't know when or where._

Leah consulted the clock on her nightstand. It was almost time. She shut her diary and turned the tiny key in the lock. The irony wasn't lost on her, though she sincerely doubted her parents would read it even if it was unlocked. Still she tucked it under her pillow and straightened the corners.

Amy poked her head in the door. "Monkey, Sigrid should be calling in the next ten minutes."

"Okay."

The little girl followed her to the library. It was strange being in this room knowing it's where all their troubles started. While Amy took her seat next to Sheldon, Leah chose to stand behind the couch. She wasn't sure how the call would go, and it would be easier to hide or make a quick get away from there.

Amy slid her double helix charm back and forth as the minutes ticked by. "What if she's too scared to call?"

"We have her number and can track her down like she tracked us," Sheldon assured her.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Monkey?"

Leah looked at the ground. "Nothing," she mumbled.

Amy frowned then jumped when a familiar tone chimed alerting them of the call. She slid her charm faster. "Sheldon, can you answer? I'm afraid my hands will be too shaky to press the right key."

He squeezed her free hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Relax, Amy. Just breathe."

Amy took a deep breath in and slowly released it. She gave him a slight nod, and he clicked the video camera icon. A young female with silky shoulder length blonde hair filled the screen. The two women stared at each other, neither knowing what to say. Finally the younger woman gathered some courage.

"H...hello, Dr. Cooper-Fowler. I..I'm Sigrid."

"Hello, Sigrid. Please call me Amy."

Sigrid visibly relaxed, though the couple could see her hands still trembling, though almost imperceptibly. "Thank you. That's much easier to say." She let out a nervous laugh, and Amy felt bad for her.

"Don't be afraid. It was very brave of you to contact us. I'm ever so grateful."

"We were worried some pervert had gotten a hold of my wife's diary," Sheldon shuddered. "Just to be clear, I didn't mean you," he added.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him." She dropped her charm and folded her hands in her lap, giving the other woman her full attention. "So, I feel like you know us, but we don't know much about you."

Sigrid shrugged. "There's not much to tell. Born and raised in Boston. I'm working on my bachelor's in journalism at Harvard..."

"I went to Harvard too!"

The blonde's eyes lit up. "Really? Wow, small world. When did you move to California?"

"I moved back after I graduated. I'm a California girl born and raised."

Sheldon beamed. "Amy's a world renowned neurobiologist."

"I know. I've read a few articles about some projects she's worked on and a couple you did together..." Her fingers shook again. "I must confess something."

The couple eyed her warily. "What is it?" Amy asked.

"I... um... Well, I read your diary... I... At first it was just to try... try finding clues to your identity. I was only trying to get it back to... to its owner. But even after I solved the mystery, I continued... reading. It was just so fascinating... Like a very well-written novel, only better because it's real life." She bit her lip and hung her head. "I invaded your privacy, and I'm sorry."

Leah popped out from behind couch. "I read it too," she mumbled.

Sigrid's head snapped up, and she focused on the little girl's face peeking out from behind her parents. "H.. hello. What's your name?"

"Leah," she whispered shyly.

"Leah. That's a pretty name. How old are you, Leah?"

"Eight."

Amy could practically see the gears working in the young woman's head, as if she was calculating something. Suddenly Sigrid's eyes widened then she burst into tears. Amy and Sheldon exchanged a look. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Sigrid couldn't take her eyes off Leah. "Eight... You're eight..."

Leah tilted her head. "Why does that make you sad?"

"I'm sorry. Did something happen to you at that age?" Amy asked gently.

Sigrid wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I'm not sad. These are tears of joy. Leah is Monkey! You're alive!" She sobbed, the tears flowing freely again.

"Oh! I suppose you've read about my pregnancy issues."

The young woman nodded. "I did. I... I admit I feared the worst when your diary suddenly ended with so many blank pages at the end."

"I decided to start a new diary when we stayed at our friends' house. We lived in a fourth floor apartment, and I couldn't go back because the elevator was broken, and I couldn't take the stairs..." Amy paused to catch her breath. "Sorry. That's probably more than you needed to know. The short answer is I was on bedrest for two months. It was a difficult time but so worth it. Leah has been such a joy to us. She and I have been perfectly fine."

As if to prove her mom's point, Leah proceeded to show off her jumping jack skills.

"I'm so relieved. I thought maybe you had been carrying your diary around to look back on better times."

Leah stopped jumping, her mood turning sombre. "It was all my fault. I brought it on the plane and forgot it."

Amy twisted in her seat to face her daughter. "Monkey, don't beat yourself up over it. Everything is fine now." She turned back around to face the monitor. "Leah found my diaries by accident and has been learning about our past. She's a very curious child."

"She's adorable."

Leah ducked her head and blushed. "Thanks."

Sheldon reached behind the couch to tousel her hair and was rewarded with a smile that lit up the room. "There's my happy little girl. I've missed you."

"And we have you to thank, Sigrid. Leah's been distraught ever since the night my diary was left on that plane. I can't thank you enough for relieving our family's stress by keeping my diary safe."

"Of course! From the moment I found it, I was eager to return it to its owner."

"Now we just need to figure out how to get it from Boston to Pasadena. We weren't planning on visiting Amy's family again so soon, but we could make an exception," Sheldon proposed.

"Actually, I'll be in the LA area visiting my sister over spring break. I know it's three months away, but if you're okay with that..."

"Three months is fine," Amy assured her. "I'm just so thankful to know it's in good hands."

They talked a little more and promised to keep in touch over the following weeks to finalize plans for their meeting. When Sigrid signed off, Leah joined her parents on the couch and crawled into her mom's lap. Amy stroked her daughter's hair, and the three of them sat quietly for several minutes.

"How do you feel?" Sheldon asked his wife quietly.

"Okay. That went better than expected. I like her."

"Me too," Leah agreed.

"She seems like a genuinely compassionate young woman."

"You know I'm still not very good at reading people, so I'll take your word for it."

"I want to do something nice for her as a thank you, but I'm not sure what. Any ideas?"

He slung his arm over his wife's shoulders, his hand resting on his daughter's arm. "Not offhand, but we have three months. That will give us plenty of time to come up with a plan to thank her."


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: Hi everyone! I know I said this would be the last chapter, but I ended up splitting it into two parts to keep the chapters at about the same word count as the previous chapters and also so the story would flow better, so yay, bonus chapter coming after this!**

 **I also have another surprise for you. My bestie, Stellina2a, r** **equested a drawing of a scene from this story from the extremely** **talented artist, Regina (user name RGBCN). Stellina** **was one of the lucky winners of Regina's monthly contest.** **Regina plans to post it on her Instagram account a little later today. If you aren't already following her, I suggest you check out her artwork.**

 **Thank you all so much again for your continued support!**

 _April 2, 2028_

 _A lot can happen in three months, so much that I've barely had time to write more than a couple of lines in here each week. Today will be another busy day. I probably shouldn't even be writing now, but my thoughts need an outlet. If these ramblings are incohesive, at least they're for my personal memoirs only and not on display for prying eyes._

 _Raj and Ms. Jackson, or I should say Amber Jackson, now that we are better acquainted, are still going strong. Last month he finally admitted to all of us that they've been seeing each other since the night of the pageant. She is a lovely woman who appreciates his sensitive side and takes a genuine interest in his work as an astrophysicist, and he's content to help her with his more artistic side. I'm so happy for him, for both of them._

 _Dylan is going to be a cub scout this fall. He begged Leonard to be a scout master until Leonard pointed out Penny would do a better job than he could. Luckily Dylan's friend's dad is already involved with the troop since his older son is a scout. Leonard is relieved to be off the hook._

 _Cadence wants to enroll in dance classes, and Penny is thrilled. Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m., so we may have to change our school pickup schedule in the fall, as Leah isn't too keen to join. I'm so used to our girls doing everything together, but they're growing up and were bound to start spending a little more time apart. It's both exciting to know they are branching out yet terrifying because before we know it, they'll be young adults._

 _Howard and Bernadette are so proud of Nathaniel. His robot won first place in the science fair. Now he's working on building a second one. He and Howard have been shopping for parts online, with Nat making most of the decisions. I think we will have another engineer in our group before long._

 _As for us, my mom and I are slowly patching our relationship again. It's like starting over from the progress we made after Sheldon and I got engaged. Slowly but surely we'll get there again. Leah is bonding with her more too. She spent a weekend there baking cookies and playing board games and wants to know when they can do it again._

 _Annette surprised us with a gorgeous picture book from our time in Boston over Christmas. There are a lot of candid shots, most of which were taken when I didn't even know she was looking._ _There are some of us all playing out in the snow, pictures of Sheldon as Santa, of the kids playing games, and of me and my siblings just chatting on the couch by the fire. I think it's her way of making up for the awkwardness of that fateful Christmas Eve lunch._

 _I'm also happy to report the school has reconsidered our idea for a gifted program starting with the 2028-2029 school year. To finish out the current year, Leah's teachers have agreed to allow her to help out with various projects rather than participating in the classes she excels in, though she is still required to take the tests. Unlike me and Sheldon, she enjoys participating in gym class, and of course she is still happy to work on art projects in Raj's girlfriend's class. I'm relieved she can still enjoy time with her classmates without staying bored._

 _The school district also informed us they would like to include Fun with Flags in their fall curriculum. We haven't worked out the details (how many weeks it would run and payment, among other things), but Sheldon's already started planning our lessons. I love how excited he gets when he's about to impart his wisdom on a new audience._

 _Best of all, Leah has returned to her usual bubbly self, thanks to Sigrid. Their twice-weekly Skype sessions are filled with laughter and intelligent chitchat. If I believed in luck and faith, I would think some higher power was watching over my diary that night. Out of all the people who possibly could have sat in that seat, for it to be this sweet, kind, genuine, trustworthy woman is, as Sheldon's mom would say, a blessing._

 _We sat down with Leah and told her all about my parents' one-night stand on their flight to Boston in March 1982, and my resulting conception. She admitted she was still curious but was reluctant to know the details because it was her curiosity that almost cost me my diary. I urged her not to squelch her curious feelings. She just needs to be more mindful of how she finds the information. I hugged her and reiterated that she can always come to us with questions. Then the inquiries came flying. We told her how I found out 30-plus years later and about the details leading up to finding my dad. It was so strange to relive those months again, and Leah took the news surprisingly well._

 _We also came clean with her with the whole truth about the dirty sock, and she admitted it was one of the things she was most interested in and had searched for more information on it in my diaries. More of the truth unraveled as she told us everything she had learned from them and how she managed to look at so many without getting caught. Though I'm disappointed in her for sneaking around, a small part of me is impressed that she would go to such great lengths to find answers. It's a great skill if she wishes to have a private investigation_ career some _day._

 _Now today we'll be making new memories. Sigrid's flight arrives midmorning, and we're picking her up, as her sister got called in for a last-minute audition. The plan is to take her to lunch, where she will give me my diary, and we will present her with a surprise reward before taking her to her sister's apartment in Studio City. I'm excited and nervous to meet her in the flesh and relieved I'll soon have my diary in my hands._

Amy set her diary in her nightstand drawer then looked herself over in the full-length mirror. She twisted from side to side, critiquing herself from all angles. Other than an errant lock of hair, everything was in place. Still she couldn't help but feel inadequate. She pursed her lips and stared at her reflection.

Sheldon poked his head in the bedroom door. "Amy, are you almost ready? What are you doing?"

She turned toward him and sighed. "I want this meeting to go perfectly."

"Are you nervous?"

She sat on the edge of the bed and slid her double helix charm. "A little."

He took a seat next to her so their knees were touching. "Why? We've spoken with Sigrid many times. She's not a complete stranger anymore."

"The logical part of my brain knows that, but my limbic system doesn't agree."

"How about if your limbic system focuses on something else?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Sheldon!" She giggled. "As tempting as that sounds, we don't have time."

"Not even for a kiss?"

Before she could object, his head swooped down, and he captured her lips with his. She surrendered to the feelings, both emotional and physical. Without breaking contact, she crawled into his lap and straddled him. Her fingers threaded through his hair, as he ran his hands up and down her back.

"Mommy?" Leah called from the hallway.

Amy slid off her husband's lap and straightened her skirt. "Is everything okay, Monkey?"

"I was just wondering when we're leaving."

"Soon."

"I also need your opinion on something."

Amy pressed her lips quickly to her husband's and gave him an apologetic look before catching up to her daughter. "What's all this?" She asked as she surveyed a pile of beads on the kitchen table.

"Ms. Jackson taught us to make peyote bracelets. Sigrid seems to like purple, but I wasn't sure if this piece is too immature. It's not like a diamond necklace or silver chain. Maybe I should have added some silver-colored beads to it."

"Oh, Monkey, that's so sweet. I think it's perfect just the way it is, and I know she will love it."

Leah grinned. "Good because I don't have time to make another one."

Amy picked up the jewelry and inspected it closer. The deep violet background was a great choice to offset the intricate pastel purple design. "It's very pretty. You did all this today?"

"I started it in art class yesterday but wanted it to be a surprise, so I hid it in my backpack. We were supposed to work on them again after spring break, but I asked Ms. Jackson if I could take the rest of my beads home so I could finish. I promised I'd use the next class time to start another one."

"That was nice of her."

Leah nodded in agreement. "I like her a lot; she's perfect for Uncle Raj."

"She sure is."

Sheldon entered the kitchen with a barely-contained look of horror on his face as he took in the organized mess on the table. "What's all this?"

"I made a gift for Sigrid. I promise I'll clean up the extra pieces." To prove herself, she scooped up a handful of beads and dumped them ceremoniously into a mini Ziploc bag.

"That's my girl!"

Leah beamed. "Daddy, I think you'll appreciate the precision of my perpendicular lines."

Amy handed the bracelet to her husband, and he examined it carefully. "I don't see a single flaw. You have a real talent, just promise you'll use it for the greater good of science not as some hippie selling jewelry at a craft market."

"Sheldon!" Amy admonished. "Leah, no matter what you decide as a career, we will support you."

"Maybe I'll be like Uncle Raj. He's creative and has a career in the sciences."

"I suppose that would be acceptable," Sheldon agreed.

Leah looked up at the Batman clock. "Do I have enough time to change?"

Sheldon frowned. "What's wrong with what you have on?"

Leah's gaze traveled down her smiley face shirt. "It's too childish and has a stain where I spilled a bit of grape juice."

Sheldon squinted at a tiny purple speck near the hem. "I don't think that design is childish for an eight year old, but I do agree about the stain. Change quick so I can spray it before it sets in.

Leah raced to her room and returned in record time. She followed her dad to the laundry room, watching his process carefully.

"We need to go now," Amy informed them through the open doorway.

All the way to the airport, Leah picked at imaginary lint on her shirt, Amy slid her charm at each red light, and Sheldon unsuccessfully tried to calm their nerves with scientific humor. Forty-nine minutes later, they pulled into the short-term parking garage. Amy checked her phone for a text from the young woman alerting them of her arrival but didn't panic when one didn't display, as they were a few minutes early.

"I want to watch the plane come in," Leah informed her parents.

"It's hard to say for sure which one it is. I have the carrier and flight number, but the number isn't written on the plane."

"I know that, Mommy, but if we know what gate Sigrid's scheduled to arrive at, we might see it."

A quick search on her phone told her the plane was on time and set to arrive at Gate 63 in 11 minutes. "The way security is set up, we can't go to the gate to watch. I'm sorry, Monkey."

"I understand," she mumbled.

"But we can do the next best thing, which is heading inside to meet her at the baggage claim when she arrives."

All holding hands with Leah in the middle, the trio made their way through the hordes of people arriving, departing, and meeting loved ones. They passed a line of limo drivers and cruise ship employees holding signs with passenger names, and Sheldon led the way to a slightly less crowded area near one of the unmoving baggage drops.

Leah slipped her hands free and tugged on her dad's shirt. "We should have made a sign for Sigrid."

"Why? She knows what we look like."

"But it would be easier for her to find us in the crowd."

He touseled her hair. "She'll find us if we don't see her first."

Amy's phone chimed, and she viewed the display. "Her plane just landed. It will be a few minutes before they deplane and walk over here."

"Tell her Daddy's wearing his Green Lantern shirt. He's the tallest and easiest to spot."

"Okay." Amy tapped a few keys and moments later received a thumbs up emoji.

While they waited, Leah made up a game about the passengers coming and going. Anyone wearing a red shirt was worth five points, yellow shirt ten points, cowboy hats 20 points. Whoever of the three of them called it first received the points.

"Another red shirt for me! I have 25 points," she gloated.

"I still think that faded red one should have counted," Sheldon huffed. "We'd have been tied."

"I just need to find a cowboy hat so I can really get ahead."

"Good luck with that. Unless we see some die-hard Texans, I don't think we'll find any. We could do baseball caps instead."

"No, Daddy. That's too easy; they're too common." Leah turned her attention to Amy. "Mommy, it's like you're not even trying. You only got five points."

Amy dropped the charm she had subconsciously been sliding. "Sorry, Monkey. I'll try to be more focused."

"Red shirt!" Leah squealed.

Sheldon pointed excitedly at another person headed in their direction. "Red for me too."

Father and daughter continued the competition with vigor, but Amy's mind had wandered again. She should be happy she would have her diary back soon. She should be excited. Instead she was a ball of nerves. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed the action out of the corner of her eye. As a throng of weary travellers rushed toward the baggage drops, Leah took off into the middle of it.

"Leah, get back here!" Amy screamed. "Leah!"

Amy pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes wildly scanning the area for her only child, while her heart beat arrhythmically in her chest. A woman yelled at her, punctuating her point with a rude hand gesture, but Amy barely noticed. Her gaze had focused on the sight behind the woman's hand, and she felt her blood pressure return to normal. A familar-looking blonde crouched before her little girl, their arms wrapped around each other. Sigrid was here.


	48. Chapter 48

Leah talked Sigrid's ear off from the moment they got in the car until Amy interrupted after they turned onto the I 405 N ramp.

"Sigrid, you must be exhausted after such a long flight."

"Not really. The worst part was the turbulence."

"Turbulence isn't scary when you think about it scientifically. It's just the result of the meeting of two bodies of air moving at different speeds," Leah informed her.

"Wow, you are a wealth of knowledge."

Sheldon twisted around so he could look at them in the backseat. "Agreed. Leah's the most intelligent child at her school, probably in all of Pasadena."

"And she's creative too," Amy added.

Leah's eyes widened. "Mommy, we need to go home."

"Why?"

"I forgot that thing."

Amy peered at her daughter through the rearview mirror. "What thing?"

"That thing I was working on this morning. Remember I asked your opinion about it? I left it on the table when I changed and forgot to go back for it."

Amy regarded the panicked look on Leah's face. She knew how excited her daughter was to gift Sigrid with the bracelet she had worked so hard on, but she needed to be mindful of their guest's time. "Sigrid, do you mind if we make a pit stop in Pasadena before lunch?"

"Not at all. I'll text my sister so she won't worry."

"What kind of audition is your sister doing today?" Leah asked after the sent button was tapped.

"A new brand of yogurt. She couldn't give me any more details."

"What's it like having a sister?"

As the two chattered away, Amy relaxed the grip she hadn't realized she had on the steering wheel. Why had she been so nervous? Sigrid was just as sweet in person as she had been on screen. She was genuinely interested in everything Leah had to say, and the feeling was mutual; Leah hung on her every word.

Nearly an hour later, they arrived at the Cooper house. Leah grabbed Sigrid's hand and pulled her up the steps to the door. "Can I show Sigrid my room and Giuseppe?"

Sheldon unlocked the door and ushered them all inside. "Of course. Just don't take too long. I'm sure she's anxious to have lunch and see her sister."

"I don't mind. I had some peanuts on the plane, and I'll have the whole week to spend with Kristin." She set her canvas bag near her shoes then followed the little girl up the stairs to the main level.

They passed a wall of pictures of the family, and Sigrid caught glimpses of the main living areas as they made their way to their first stop. "You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you. We found it a few months after Leah was born. It was difficult carrying a child down three flights of stairs at our old apartment, so we did extensive research for a house near Caltech. I fell in love with it when I saw the library and didn't even want to look at the other houses on our list," Amy admitted. "How about a quick tour?"

"Sure!"

Leah pulled her new friend over to the aquarium in the living room. "Sigrid, I'd like you to meet Giuseppe. He's a common box turtle, or terrapene carolina."

Sigrid peered through the glass at the shelled creature slowly ambling toward them. "He's so cute! What do you feed him?"

"Chopped raw fruits and vegetables mostly. I'll get some so you can watch him eat."

She took off into the kitchen and returned with a handful of chopped carrots. Sigrid opened her hand to receive the food, while Sheldon lifted the lid.

Hand hovering over the opening above the little food dish, Sigrid bit her lip. "Does he bite?

Leah shook her head. "No, he's very friendly."

Sigrid lowered her hand into the aquarium and carefully dropped the carrots in. Giuseppe changed course and headed toward the orange-colored treats.

"He's magnificent!"

Leah beamed. "You can touch him like this, if you feel comfortable." As the turtle slowly chewed, she gently stroked his shell.

When Leah retracted her hand, Sigrid gingerly touched him just as her companion had. "Such a beautiful creature. Do you know how old he is?"

"He's eight, according to what they told us at the pet shop. We're the same age, but we've only had him for three years."

"I had a cat and a goldfish growing up but never a reptile. What made you decide on a turtle?"

"Daddy suggested we get one when I wanted a pet because they don't shed or make noise, and we don't have to rush home to let him out to use the bathroom, like you do with dogs. He's terrified of dogs, so we would never get one anyway."

After allowing a few more minutes with the turtle and a thorough hand washing, Amy presented Sigrid with the rest of the house. Leah was excited to show off her new camera, Coco the Monkey, and the books on her nightstand. When they reached the library, Sheldon unlocked the door. The Coopers stood back as Sigrid entered, her eyes scanning the floor-to-ceiling book wall.

"Wow! This is amazing! Seeing it in person is so much more impressive than onscreen. I didn't realize how big it really is. I can understand why you didn't want to look at other houses. It's a book lover's dream!"

Amy nodded in agreement. "It really is. We've spent many hours in this room as a family reading everything from novels to comic books to textbooks."

Sigrid's gaze fell on the brown couch. "This looks like a comfy place to curl up with a good book."

Leah squeezed past her parents and joined her friend. "The window seat is even better."

Together they sat on the cushioned seat, Leah pointing out the room's features, including the crates containing nearly 40 years' worth of comic books and the ladder she was forbidden to use.

Amy regarded them through teary eyes. She hadn't expected the two to make such a strong connection. Subconsciously she slid her arm around her husband's waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. As he rested his head on hers, his stomach growled.

Amy consulted her watch. "Oh dear! I lost track of time. We need to get going to lunch!"

"We don't have to wait until we get to Studio City. How about just something quick in the area? I'm a simple girl who is absolutely fine with anything."

"There is an Indian taco place on North Raymond Avenue that's quick, healthy, and filling," Amy suggested.

"Sounds great!"

"Wait! I need to pick up that thing from the table." Leah excused herself then returned a minute later empty handed.

"Where is it, Monkey?"

"In my pocket. I'm going to wait until we're at the restaurant."

On the short drive over, Leah was excited to show off the highlights of Pasadena. "… and there's the arcade we went to where I beat my dad at Pac-Man."

"We still need to go back so I can regain my status as the victor."

"Or maybe I'll win again and even beat my own best score."

Amy grinned as father's and daughter's competitive sides shined while they planned their next outing. She was so thankful Leah was her old self again. In the rearview mirror, her gaze caught the eyes of the young woman seated next to Leah, and she smiled softly.

When they arrived, the lunch hour rush had dissipated, so they had almost the whole restaurant to themselves. Leah chose a table by the window, where she and Sigrid sat facing the action on the street, giving her parents the interior view.

Sigrid washed down a bit of her taco with some water. "I've been enjoying you all so much that I almost forgot the reason for our meeting."

"We can wait until we're done eating. Really, it's fine," Amy insisted, when the younger woman reached into her bag.

"Too late. I got it."

When she handed over the diary, Amy teared up at the sight of the familiar object she hadn't laid eyes upon since she hid it behind the books when they moved in nearly eight years earlier. "I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I didn't think I would be so emotional." She flipped through the pages, and memories of the months leading up to Leah's birth flooded her mind. "Thank you so much."

"This… this is the moment I've hoped for since I found it," Sigrid informed her, a bit teary eyed herself.

When she pulled herself together, Amy reached into her purse and pulled out a small rectangular slip of paper. "We are so grateful to you for reuniting me with my diary that we want to present you with a token of our appreciation."

Sigrid shook her head. "That's not necessary. I didn't do this for a reward."

"I know you didn't, and it's your selflessness that makes us want to do this."

Sigrid accepted the paper, her eyes widening as she realized what it was, then dropped it on the table. "A check for $1000?! I can't accept this. It's much too generous."

"It's made out to Harvard to help pay for your next semester."

Tears ran down the blonde's cheeks. "The gesture is really sweet, but I can't accept this. I only did what any decent human being would do."

"Please take it. I know it won't make much of a dent towards the tuition cost, but we wanted to do a little something to help out."

Sigrid slid the check back to the couple. "You already paid for my lunch. That was thanks enough."

Amy reached across the table and took her hands. "I know how hard it is to be a student eating ramen every night and struggling to make ends meet, and it doesn't end there. Then comes the years of paying student loans... Please, I want you to have it."

"Amy and I value education above everything." Sheldon leaned across the table and tousled his daughter's hair, his other hand resting on his wife's thigh under the table. "Well, almost everything. We won't take no for an answer."

"But…"

"Please," Amy pleaded. "This diary is priceless. It's the least we can do to show our gratitude for its safe return."

Sigrid licked her lips and stared at the check. "Thank you. I don't know what else to say."

Amy squeezed her hands. "You are very welcome."

"I also have something for you," Leah added, as she dug in her pants pocket. She reached for her friend's hand and placed the purple bracelet in her palm.

Sigrid stared at the gift, and the tears began to flow again. "This is beautiful! How did you know purple is my favorite color?"

Leah shrugged. "You wear it a lot. Lucky guess."

Sigrid looked down at her shirt and laughed through her tears. "I suppose I do wear it a lot." She turned the beaded creation over in her hands. "I love it. Thank you, Leah."

The little girl beamed. "I made it myself."

Sigrid hugged it to her chest then placed it on her wrist. "That makes it even more precious. I will think of you every time I wear it."

xxx

That evening, Sheldon placed his wife's pregnancy diary back in its rightful place and carefully climbed down the library ladder. All three Coopers stood below and stared up at the spot where a genetics book hid the book in question and where it would remain for many years. They wordlessly left the library, the only sound the click of the key as Sheldon locked the door.

Getting Leah to bed was easier than usual. The little girl was eager to please her parents and put the diary fiasco behind her. Amy watched as her eyes fluttered shut and kissed her daughter's forehead before retreating to her own bedroom. While Sheldon performed his nighttime ablutions in the adjoining bathroom, Amy pulled her diary from the nightstand drawer. Pen in hand, she flipped to the next blank page.

 _April 2, 2028_

 _Life has a funny way of working out. Even when mistakes are made or you're given a metaphorical curveball, something beautiful can come out of it. Without Leah's curiosity, we'd have never met Sigrid. I cannot say enough wonderful things about her. She is an amazing young woman who I know will serve as not only a friend to us all but as another strong role model for Leah._

 _I'm in a philosophical mood and can't help but think back on the events that have led us to where we are today._ _Of course there are the big ones, like getting married and becoming parents, but even the sin closet served a purpose, as it helped shape me into the woman I am today._ _There are so many components I could list, but there is one thing that started it all - a dirty sock. Tha_ _t sock was the catalyst to so many of the best moments in my life. Without it I'd have never met Sheldon. Without Sheldon, I would not have met my wonderful friends, and I may never have met my dad or siblings. Without Sheldon, our sweet little girl would not exist._

 _I can't even imagine what my life would have been like without all these incredible people in it, but I do know I have lived a fuller, happier life than I would have if not for that little item of soiled hosiery._ _So thank you, dirty sock, wherever you may be. Thank you for indirectly introducing me to my loving husband, daughter, friends, and family. Thank you for all the memories._

 _And while I'm feeling quite nostalgic at the moment, I'm also looking forward to the future. I can't wait to see what other surprises are in store for me – for us._

 **A/N: This story has been my baby for 21 months, so it's hard for me to see it end. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Your favorites, follows, and reviews here and also your comments and likes on Instagram are what helped it reach 48 chapters.** **Thank you all so much for joining me on this journey.**


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